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We have a wide range of opportunities to support the educational and supplemental programs at Polaris, ranging from $100 to $10,000 and above.
If you are interested in any of these opportunities, please consider contacting Carol Clavadetscher, Director of Finance and Operations, at 773.534.0820 or cclav@pcachicago.org or just click the blue button on the right!
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Sponsor a participant in our Run-Bike-Swim Program: $100
Polaris is committed to providing a range of physical fitness options for students. Our Run-Bike-Swim program gives students the opportunity to learn how to swim, Earn-a-Bike and learn how to ride it safely, and participate in Girls on the Run (GOTR) and
Girls on the Run/ Boys on the Run programs.
A gift of $100 would typically provide running shoes for a participant, buy a swimsuit and cap, and pay for their registration for official GOTR races. It will also help pay for the staff time (especially after school hours) spent on these activities. (Note: With your permission we might want to buy 3 pair of shoes for 3 different participants).
Sponsor a Reading Buddy: $250
Show your appreciation of a Reading Buddy who is near and dear to your heart. A donation to this program helps ensure that we have enough books for reading buddies throughout the year.
Sponsor a Classroom Library: $500 per classroom (Total need $5,000)
Until this year, we relied on a now discontinued grant program to buy many of the books we need!
But there is still a need! Because each student reads between 100-200 books each year – depending on their grade and ability – we are in constant need of new books.
Each classroom has its own library. Why? Because reading is a central part of the daily routine at Polaris, and students need frequent access to their books. Your donation of $500 towards a classroom library will make sure that our students are never lacking a new book to read. (Note: With your permission we might want to share this gift around so that all classrooms receive a more-or-less equal number of books).
Technology: $250-$1,000 (Total need $10,000)
Students at Polaris are exposed to information technology at an early age. Kindergartners and first graders use computers to “play” literacy games on the internet, while older students use technology as a tool to help them with research or producing finished products for their expeditions.
Your donation of $250 would contribute towards the purchase of a new desktop computer for our younger grades to use in their classrooms, while a gift of $1,000 would cover the kind of tools older students need (typically an Apple Macbook).
Sponsor Fieldwork: $750
Fieldwork is the backbone of the Learning Expeditions through which much of Polaris’ humanities and science content is taught. Students do real work when they leave the school to conduct fieldwork – they study, measure, record, investigate and explore.
Your donation will cover the cost of transportation, lunch, admission and any other expenses associated with the fieldwork. You will receive a report along with photos of the excursion. You are welcome to take part in the fieldwork excursion you are sponsoring.
Exclusive Sponsorship of a Learning Expedition: $5,000
Your exclusive sponsorship of a Learning Expedition will demonstrate your commitment to urban education and show your support of for the work Polaris students are doing every day.
Learning Expeditions are long-term, “real world” investigations, by teachers and students, of compelling subjects, which culminate in public presentations. Recent examples of Polaris Learning Expeditions, including We’re Buggin’ and So, I’m Not the Center of the Universe?, are outlined in the Fall 2009 Polaris Inquirer.
Your support at this level guarantees that students will have the resources they need to be 100% successful in their expedition. The cost of a year-long expedition includes procuring resources to learn about the chosen topic (i.e. books, animals, equipment), engaging experts to participate directly with students, and field work (transportation and fees).
You will not only receive the satisfaction of knowing you have helped 100 students advance in their education, but you will also receive detailed reports on the expedition from both staff and students, along with an invitation to attend the Celebration of Learning that concludes each expedition.
Learning Expedition – A La Carte
(1) Sponsor an Expert: $500
Students engage with subject matter experts first hand throughout their expeditions. While many experts are willing to donate their time, we often have to pay for experts to come to the school. For example….
(2) Sponsor Fieldwork: $750
Fieldwork is the backbone of the Learning Expeditions through which much of Polaris’ humanities and science content is taught. Students do real work when they leave the school to conduct fieldwork – they study, measure, record, investigate and explore.
Your donation will cover the cost of transportation, lunch, admission and any other expenses associated with the fieldwork. You will receive a report along with photos of the excursion. You are welcome to take part in the fieldwork excursion you are sponsoring.
(3) Sponsor Materials: $1,000
An expedition includes procuring the equipment and resources needed to accomplish the goals established by the crew. For example, our 1/2 crews are studying bread. The students are not only reading about and researching bread, but grinding grains and baking bread in their class rooms. These materials are critical to the success of an expedition and will be maintained for future expeditions.
(4) Transportation for Fieldwork$275
It is essential that Polaris students get the opportunity to engage authentically with the people, places and materials related to their Learning Expeditions. In order to fully embrace the resources in the Chicago area specific to the expeditions (ie museums, parks, zoos), Polaris provides bus transportation for students at a cost of approximately $275 per week.
