Belonging to the Max!

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A nonprofit fundraiser supporting

AmazeWorks
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$250

raised by 3 people

$500 goal

Three and a half years ago, I made the difficult decision to leave my position as a middle school teacher to explore a new opportunity with AmazeWorks. I knew I would miss spending my days with middle schoolers, but I also knew I wanted to take the next step in my journey - both personally and professionally, and I was excited to use my skills in new ways. While it was hard to leave the classroom, and I still have moments of grief around it, I am forever grateful for the experience of working with such a smart, dynamic, creative, and thoughtful team who believes in the mission of AmazeWorks to champion equity and belonging for all. 

My personal WHY for doing this work comes from several places. It comes from my own experiences of not finding belonging for myself - whether it was attending private school with peers from more affluent families than mine to being a first-generation college student to the questions around my identity that came from not conforming to the typical gender roles and expectations of a woman. My WHY also comes from witnessing an absence of belonging in my community as a child but not having the language or skills to talk about it. Most importantly, my WHY comes from my 15 years of teaching experience - the times (when despite my best intentions)  I failed to create the conditions of belonging for students, the connections I made with students/families/colleagues across diverse identities and lived experiences, and the conversations I welcomed in my classroom about identity, difference, bias, and taking action that left me hopeful for the future.  I carry all of these things with me as I create resources for educators, facilitate professional development, and as I continue my own learning and examination of my own identity and biases.

As you think about your own experiences around belonging, I invite you to join us in our work in creating the conditions for belonging. If you are able, please consider a donation for AmazeWorks, so we can continue to champion this important work. 

This year we have extra motivation! In celebration of our 25th (+1) anniversary, we are able to match every donation dollar for dollar up to $5000 dollars, getting us that much closer to our $10,000 goal! 

Here’s what your donation would support:

  • $950 for a grade level book set of 20 books and 2 curriculum guides

  • $100 for a curriculum guide

  • $50 for a teacher's attendance in an AmazeWorks workshop

  • $275 for a Persona Doll bundle

  • $25 for an outfit for a Persona Doll

  • Other: Any amount that is meaningful to you is meaningful to us. 

Thank you!

Mel

This fundraiser supports

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AmazeWorks

Organized By Melissa Andersen

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