San Diego Gas and Electric announced Friday it is providing $250,000 in shareholder funds as matching dollars to help teachers supplement classroom learning with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) projects, as well as racial equity and inclusion education.
The utility company has partnered with the nonprofit crowdfunding platform, Donors Choose, for the fifth year in a row. The nonprofit empowers public school educators to post their projects online and raise donations to fund them.
“We consistently hear from students that they want to see more diverse perspectives and examples of positive contributions – from their cultures and others – in their classrooms and curriculum. Students want to be seen and understood as they seek to see and understand others,” said San Diego County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Paul Gothold. “We are thankful SDG&E is supporting local educators as they seek to implement equitable practices and strategies in their classrooms.”
Educators at public K-12 schools served by SDG&E can receive up to $2 for every dollar they raise for projects through Donors Choose. SDG&E first launched its partnership with DonorsChoose in 2018 so teachers don’t have to use their own money to purchase supplies.
To date, the STEM collaboration between SDG&E and DonorsChoose has supported more than 1,750 teachers and 250,000 students at more than 900 schools in a few dozen school districts.
"As a company that is deeply invested in the future of our region, we have long recognized the vital role that teachers play in developing the next generation of citizens, leaders, and knowledge workers,” said SDG&E Director of Community Relations Kazeem Omidiji. “And we want to do our part to support educators in their efforts to create meaningful and impactful learning experiences for their students.”
For more information, visit https://www.donorschoose.org/sdge?active=true .
