Isn’t it heartwarming to learn about projects that give back to others, especially when kids are involved? Recently Popular Mechanics started an initiative called, Making Good, to help American schools that are struggling financially. The popular magazine and brand realized that while many schools may need textbooks, ball fields, and higher teacher salaries, they also need furniture.
Popular Mechanics teamed up with DonorsChoose.org to find teachers in need. DonorsChoose.org is a wonderful organization that allows teachers to crowdfund projects for their own classrooms.
They then connected teachers with makers who skills matched the projects. 24 craftspeople volunteered to build exactly what the students needed.
One of the schools was East Detroit High School which is in Eastpointe, one of the most impoverished towns in America. On top of that, the school was hit hard when it’s budget was cut by nearly $5.6 million in a single year.
Even so music teacher, Joe Chouinard, wanted to find a way to help the program. The marching, jazz, and concert bands had won numerous awards since the school opened in the early 1920’s. Over the years they had collected more than 1,000 sets of sheet music which was haphazardly stacked in a back room.
He posted a request on DonorsChoose.org for funds to create a music library.
In March, the deadline was approaching and the project was $3,191 short of it’s goal.
Popular Mechanics contacted the music teacher and offered to help. They also decided to build a new percussion cabinet. They reached out to Tech Shop at their Allen Park location which is only 20 miles from the school got to work right away.
Within 5 days, a team of seven makers built the music library shelves and percussion cabinet and had them installed free of charge.
The before and after photos are in the June edition of Popular Mechanics. Check them out, the difference is amazing!
The teachers were grateful and now it’s hard to get the kids to leave the newly constructed music library.
