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Success Stories

From Teacher Champions Business Participants:

"The one word that describes the teach-a-thon experience for me is vision, followed closely by insight. Going through the whole experience from materials preparation to teaching has given me great vision and insight into what it's like, and what it takes to be a teacher."

My sisters are teachers so they have been telling me for years what it's REALLY like to teach. Now I learned 1^st hand how much preparation goes into each & every lesson. There are many "public speaking" tools that go into teaching however you must be able to relate on the students' level rather than usually speaking to your peers. Keeping their attention and making it fun while implementing a great learning experience is quite a challenge! We (team teaching) hope we accomplished our goal that day. We KNOW we had fun and learned what it's like to be a teacher - very rewarding! All the smiles and self satisfaction they achieve are worth every minute of effort we put into it."

"Learned how challenging and satisfying it can be firsthand. I learned that being a teacher is a very difficult job. Although I hear this all the time, I was not aware of the conditions related to space, money, and tools. I also learned how satisfying it can be by seeing the faces and getting their thanks. "

"I am a teacher champion and for myself and the rest of our team of Teacher Champions, it was an incredible experience. The students were totally into our presentation and we really got to make a difference. Yes, it was an amazing amount of creativity and work to prepare a class and then pull it off- so I can't imagine what it takes for a teacher to do the same on an everyday basis. It was truly a privilege to participate this year and Whole Foods looks forward to participating again next year or anytime at all."

"I always thought that elementary teachers expended a greater amount of energy than do high-school teachers primarily due to the attention they needed to give to each student. I was surprised to find out the same effort is needed in creating a lesson plan for a high-school math class. I had a wonderful experience planning for and spending the day with the high school students at Southridge High School. I was truly impressed by the students' interest level and willingness to continue learning in furthering their education"

From Mentor Teachers Participants (classroom teachers)

"The school I work at is in a poverty zone, and the parents of the children that are in my class cannot afford uniforms which are required to be worn at the school. They are not in a special club; they are required as mandatory attire. I decided the best thing that I could give to all my children would be something that they could not get on their own. I therefore decided to order uniform shirts for all of my students.

The day that the uniforms came in was the day of a special field trip that the entire first grade went on, which was to the Homestead Rodeo. All the children in my class had brand new matching uniforms, and we took pictures of the entire class with the principal of the school, Dr. Nebb.

The children really appreciated the new uniforms, and it was at that point that I knew I made the right decision by using the money raised from the Teach-A-Thon to get these uniforms. I thank you for the opportunity to work with The Education Fund and look forward to doing more work with you in the future."

Thank you,
Emad R. Fahmy
First Grade Teacher
Laura C. Saunders Elementary School

"I just wanted to take this opportunity to tell you what a huge success my day was with my CHAMPIONS. They really were champions. Jeff and Paul from Coastal did an outstanding job! We decided from the beginning that it would be best to do hands-on projects that have been needed to get done for some time in my Agriscience area. There was either a lack of funds or know-how on my part. They were able to accomplish everything we talked about. I kept telling them that I felt like I was part of Extreme Home Makeovers. They were able to bring in a landscape crew, an electrician, a plumber, an irrigation specialist, and all of the heavy equipment necessary to get the jobs done. I had an issue with the sink in the greenhouse. They addressed that. I have a weather data collection device that I was having to carry outside each day in order to get any weather readings. It should have been attached to the building 5 years ago. They took care of that. We had several areas that needed to be re-landscaped. They took care of that. They even arranged for us to get a new irrigation timer to handle all of the new sprinklers that were installed. We started at 8:00AM and didn't stop until 4:00PM. It was a day that I will never forget! What a great experience for the students.

Thank you for allowing me to take part in this program again."

"This entire project has been wonderful! Not only did my class and I get to meet two wonderful and creative people, Javid and Andy from the Orange Clothing Company, we were exposed to a wonderful lesson, and we also received much needed funds for the classroom. I want to compliment you and your organization for being so caring, as well as professional. I hope you will include me in this program for the future. I will try to help in any way that I can. "

For more information, please contact:
Stacey de la Grana, Campaign Manager
The Education Fund
305-892-5099 ext. 23

Presenting sponsors: