In my school district, poverty effects almost every student. Located in rural Montana on the Flathead Indian reservation, over 80% of students qualify for free lunch and more than 50% enter Kindergarten without any prior early childhood education. Many students enter kindergarten having never written their name or even read a book. While it may seem hard to believe in this day and age, poverty directly impacts every facet of their lives and affects their ability to learn and communicate with the world around them.

I desperately need your assistance to help my students break down the barriers of poverty and provide them with high-tech opportunities that will activate their imaginations and teach perseverance through practice.

I have a classroom full of creative students who are eager to learn. Your donation will enable me to provide creative and engaging hands-on coding experiences that will provide them the opportunities to be successful at school and in life.

Coding in kindergarten is virtually unheard, especially in my rural Montana community located on the Flathead Indian Reservation. I plan to change that with the introduction of the KIBO robots. KIBO robots are research-based and specifically designed for young learners. They are easy to use, yet contain highly sophisticated, linear coding technology with sensors for distance, light, and sounds. By funding this highly educational and ground breaking technology, my students will have numerous opportunities to explore, design and code with the requested KIBO 21 kits and robots. To ensure it's success, I attended a special week long training at the Pathfinders Institute in Bloomington, Indiana. Here I learned how to use and integrate the KIBO robots into my everyday classroom routines. I also have free access to numerous lesson plans and technical support. I am anxiously awaiting the opportunity to implement this amazing technology in my classroom, and revolutionize how coding can be integrated into a kindergarten classroom.