GPS for a Special Ed Classroom

[+flamejobgrrl]

So I have run up against a wall with donations. Tried Source, Canadian Tire, Future Shop, Best Buy, MEC, Bass Pro, Walmart, Garmin and Magellan. Many of these companies didn't even respond with a "regret" we can not help letter or call. One lead may be possible in January, but I am looking to get a unit into the classroom before that to start with. I can't believe that none of these places even agreed to sell them to us at cost. GPScentral in Alberta is the only company thus far that has been willing to do that. The problem is, raising enough funds to purchase a new unit.

 

I have seen some good deals on basic units come up, but no one is willing to ship to Canada. Is anyone looking to part with their back-up unit for a decent decent decent price? I just saw an eTrex with some issues go for $25 - that is about the price I can afford to fork out for yet another item for the classroom. Better yet, donate your item to our classroom for a tax receipt!!!!

 

My kids need hands on tasks because reading a textbook is out of the question. They also have a bad opinion of their town and I can't think of a better way to get them into their community and exploring parts they didn't know existed. I hope to get them to set up a cache and then track a "Communication" travel bug as it goes on its journey around the world. ...... Ok....rambling.....I just know this would be perfect and am running out of options. Please email me at flame_jobAThotmail.com or PM me here if you can help us out with either a donation or your old unit at $50, shipped, or less.

 

Thanks,

Kristen

[Neos2]

There is funding out there, you just have to be persistant.

Your building principal should have some discretionary funds that can be used for things like this, your school system might have a technology fund that can buy a unit or three. Don't forget to ask the PTO if you have one. And any local charity organizations. In fact, you should ask all of the local community service organizations (Elks, Moose, Kiwanis, etc).

 

Don't forget to ask the local Crusade for Children, United Way and similar groups who specialize in collecting donations to help children with special needs. There are many special education grants available at the state and national level. (IN fact, sometimes it seems like there is almost too much money for the special needs kids and not enough for the gifted and talented, but that's another rant).

 

Walk into the local stores that sell units and ask to speak with the manager. It's harder to say no in person. They usually have to ask the main headquarters, and that can take months, and they only donate so much per year, but it can eventually get you some units.

 

Consider asking your student's parents to sponsor bake sales and car washes to earn the money you need to get the units. Ask the Key Club, Anchor Club, Nike Club, Student Council, National Honor Society and any other community service organizations associated with your school or a nearby public high school or college. They all have service hours they needs to earn and are always looking for service projects. Contact your local Boy Scout and Girl Scout headquarters, too, for the same reason.

 

Look for technology grants that target special needs or low income kids.

Look here and here and on any other site that you can find on a google search of "special education grants" or "Grants teachers" etc

 

I too teach special needs kids, but in the regular classroom. Three of my six sections are collaboratively taught and I have at least two consultive kids in each of the other three classes. That just to let you know that I do know what you mean, how you feel, and what I am talking about.

 

You have to ask the right people and you have to ask every year. Just because they turn you down this year does not mean that they won't ever help--they likely are just helping the people who asked them last year and had to be turned down.

 

Asking here on the forum probably won't get you the units you need. Geocachers tend to resell the units they buy to try to recoup some of the money they spent on the unit to help fund the next unit. They also do not understand how much we teachers really spend on our classrooms, and how frustrating it is not to be able to get the things we really need when we need them. Big businesses are much more likely to fund your project. Geocachers are just likely to feel sorry for us and a bit guilty that they can't help more.

[egorny]

I am a teacher as well and all I can offer is a Garmin dealer who can offer 30% most of Garmin units to teachers and schools. Email me and I will send you the forms as attachments showing the prices.

egorny@gis2gps.com

 

Ed

[Neos2]

Reasonably good news here on my front. The department came up with enough $$$ to allow me to purchase five little yellow eTrex's for my science classroom. Not the ten blue Legends I really hoped for, alas and alack, but I can manage with these.

 

I do have our two Legends we keep for backup I can let the school borrow,too, and I'm still hoping for donations, grants, etc. to get me what I really need---but by golly, it's a step in the right direction!

[+flamejobgrrl]

Reasonably good news here on my front. The department came up with enough $$$ to allow me to purchase five little yellow eTrex's for my science classroom. Not the ten blue Legends I really hoped for, alas and alack, but I can manage with these.

 

I do have our two Legends we keep for backup I can let the school borrow,too, and I'm still hoping for donations, grants, etc. to get me what I really need---but by golly, it's a step in the right direction!

 

Very happy for you - I really am. I am in a poor neighbourhood. Our parent council has their goal of a 50 000 playground to replace the broken one. Our school started the year off in the red in terms of budget and money will be spent on more important things first.

 

I will keep trying and selling freezies to raise money to buy our own. I appreciate the leads that I was given thus far. I hope something pans out!

 

K

[Neos2]

Here's one that looks interesting--could you find one like this?

Special Education Technology-BC (SET-BC)

 

SET-BC is a Provincial Resource Program established to assist school districts and Group 1 and 2 independent schools in supporting educational programs of special needs students through the use of technology. School districts/independent schools receive services for students who demonstrate restricted access to the curriculum primarily due to physical handicap, autism and/or visual impairment.

 

To access SET-BC services, the student must be approved for Level 1 or 2 funding and be described by one or more of the following disability groups: physical handicapped, visual impairment, dependent or multiple handicap or autism. In addition, the student access to the curriculum is restricted by his/her disability.

 

This one may be toooooo specific, but it may give you ideas of where else to apply. It certainly describes some of the students you teach!

[+vortexecho]

have thought of contacting the local news , sometimes they can realy help with things like this . good luck cw

[+flamejobgrrl]

have thought of contacting the local news , sometimes they can realy help with things like this . good luck cw

 

We are going on our first Geocache during school hours tomorrow. I am borrowing two units from friends to let grade 6-8 kids use (VERY NERVOUS). A tight school budget means no money there, but a proposal off to a literacy foundation was said to be "great" so we will see what happens with that. I hate seeing a project with such huge potential sink. I will keep plugging away. Our school is currently fundraising for new play ground equipment which means the community is over run with donation requests for this issue. Perhaps when we place our own cache using my friend's GPS we can get the paper on board and see if there isn't something that can be done. Thanks

[+maldar]

Set-up a paypal account that we could donate to. I have no problem giving you a few bucks and I'm sure that others here would to the same. You could also place a geocache out there cachers could donate at. I had a film development fund in one of my camera caches when I was attending college. Many cachers will drop in a quarter to a dollar to help out. Contact me or post here once/if you set up a Paypal donate button.

 

Maldar

[+vortexecho]

I'm, with maldar thats a good start . how many units do you need?

[Neos2]

After you guys are done solving her GPS problems, can you work on mine, too?

 

I have 74 Earth & Space science students and 66 Biology students----1/4th of them are special ed.

 

I have five gps units--just got them yesterday, after trying for two years. I could five more.

[+mikemtn]

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/15154380/

[+flamejobgrrl]

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/15154380/

 

Looked into the donorschoose site, however, they do not support my area. Thanks for the great link - I will watch for them to serve Canada.

 

I love the idea of the donations. I had never even considered asking strangers for funds! We have been selling freezies in the classroom and have raised $50 this month, but donated half into the Terry Fox Run fund. We will keep plugging away with our fundraising within the school. Any help you can give would be fantastic. Eventually we are looking at 3 Garmin eTrex Legend type units (with mapping capabilities) for our program. I also want to develop a resource for teachers to use in order to maximize the use of GPS units within our schools. I have visions of the units being an AV type item that are signed out along with the resource guide. Donations over $20 with an appropriate address will receive a receipt from the school for tax purposes. Thanks again for the idea, I never would have asked on my own.

 

Our school website is [removed by moderator] if you are interested in seeing more about our school. As we get into the school year the site will be updated and I hope to include information about the GPS program for people to see (especially if we receive outside donations). We did our first geocache huddling around my friends Garmin and it was fantastic. They loved every minute of it and were so excited to find something in an area of town they had never seen before. Next week we are doing a 13 part historical tour of our small town through a geocache. Our Principal has even mentioned wanting to come along. It started out as an initiative for just my class, but has already expanded to include other Special education students, teachers and administration.

 

Please click on the following link if you would like to donate money towards the GPS program at McKenzie-Smith Benntt school in Acton, Ontario. Thanks kindly, Kristen MacKay

 

[Paypal link removed by moderator]

Edited October 13, 2006 by Keystone

[Keystone]

Please don't use the Groundspeak Forums for soliciting donations unless you have prior approval from Groundspeak. If you have approval, please state this in your post.