How can we support a cause via project-based learning?

Season 2 Episodes

EP1: What are the steps to becoming an impactful PBL educator?

EP2: How can we use portfolios to enhance our teaching practice?

EP3: How can we elevate our PBL unit with community partners?

EP4: How can we create a memorable experience via project-based learning?

EP5: How can we teach standards and implement project-based learning?

EP6: What role does reflection play in the PBL process?

EP7: How can we create a dynamic group culture during project-based learning?

EP8: How can students support a cause via project-based learning?

EP9: How can we promote STEM education via project-based learning?

EP10: How can we get students excited about the project-based learning topic?

EP11: What type of creative artifacts/public products can students create via project-based learning?

EP12: How can we write a project-based learning unit?

EP13: How can we write a compelling scenario for a PBL unit?

We've all participated in a fundraiser at some point in our life, especially as a student. It seems kids bring home items to sell every year to support a team, club, or school. Although many students do not necessarily think about whether or not their fundraising efforts are supporting a cause, they gain some valuable skills during the process. 

By engaging in a school fundraiser, they can develop their leadership skills and enhance their ability to pursue personal and collective goals. Furthermore, committing to support a cause allows students to feel and show empathy for others while addressing the inequity that exists in the world. Students can now see that they can tackle challenges within their school and community versus waiting to become adults. As a result, students can develop their academic, social, and emotional skills. 

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) has designed a framework that provides a foundation for applying evidence-based social and emotional strategies in schools and communities. Incorporating a cause driven component with PBL experiences allows students to achieve the CASEL framework's five competencies: cultivate self-awareness, social awareness, relationship skills, responsible decision-making, and self-management skills.

You may be excited (or at least interested) in incorporating a fundraising component into your PBL curriculum but wonder how to get started. As you can imagine, executing a successful fundraiser takes planning.

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Here are a few steps to consider as you plan a fundraiser.

• Identify a nonprofit partner whose mission is related to your PBL topic and content standards. If possible, select a partner who will provide access to resources (whether learning materials or guest speakers) that can enhance your project-based learning unit. Many nonprofit organizations have resources on their website to inform potential donors about their cause which can help educate students about the challenge the organization addresses. Also, some of these organizations provide educational materials specifically for schools to help educate students and provide guidance on how to fundraise effectively, such as a fundraising guide. Depending on the age of your students, consider allowing them to research and suggest a partner that best meets their goals.

It can be easy to focus on executing the tasks to have a successful fundraiser and forget about the learning objectives or standards you want students to master. Remember that the fundraiser is a component of the PBL unit, not the PBL unit itself. It's essential to ensure that students understand the connection between the fundraiser and the projects’ driving question. Here are two examples of successful PBL fundraisers from the Impactful PBL Network members. 

Example #1

One teacher wrote and facilitated a project-based learning experience for first graders that included a fundraising component to support a related cause. The PBL driving question was, "How can we explore animal and plant needs to save an endangered species using different forms of communication?"

The standards for this particular PBL unit were:

• Recognize that plants and animals need air, water, light (plants only), space, food, and shelter and that these are found in their environment.

• Give examples of how the needs of different plants and animals are met by their environments in North Carolina or other places throughout the world.

• Summarize ways humans protect their environment and improve conditions for the plants and animals that live there.

The teacher used an animal advocacy website and resources to amplify the PBL experience. The organization's mission is to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth. They have a symbolic species adoption program where students can adopt an animal by donating. In return, they receive an adoption kit that includes a plush version of their adopted animal and a letter of appreciation.

This fundraiser relates to the PBL topic and provides students with an opportunity to support the organization's global conservation work. Since this PBL unit overarching standard involved students understanding the characteristics of various environments and human impact on the survival of plants and animals, this fundraiser engaged students while meeting educational standards. Students had the opportunity to research multiple animals, and then as a class, they chose an animal to support monetarily.

Example #2

Another teacher designed a successful PBL experience for third graders that included a fundraising component to support a related cause. The driving question was, "How can we help bring clean, safe drinking water to communities in need?"

A team of 3rd-grade teachers, including elective teachers, facilitated this PBL unit. Since the unit was a grade-wide effort, it addressed several standards based on multiple teachers' subject areas. 

Students learned about the importance of having clean freshwater worldwide and why the world's freshwater sources are threatened (e.g., access to water, demands on water, and water pollution). Teachers used educational resources from a non-profit organization to provide safe water, hygiene education, and hope in developing nations. The organization has a "Sponsor a Well" program in which donors can raise funds to build a well for a community. These third graders raised over $3,000 to build a well in Africa near a school so students could have access to clean water.

This fundraiser was directly related to the PBL topic and provided students with an opportunity to support the organizations’ work of bringing people in developing countries potable water. Additionally, staff members from the organization participated in the launch of the PBL unit by volunteering as guest speakers. They shared their mission, work, and how they use science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM) to complete well projects.

• After selecting a nonprofit partner, it's time to set a fundraising goal. The goal should be realistic but still impactful for students and the organization. The teacher may select the fundraising goal for younger students since they may not yet fully understand the concept of money and need support with creating a realistic fundraising goal. For older students, share how much money it will take to reach the desired impact. In the first example project, students could symbolically adopt an animal for as little as $60. However, in the second example project, it cost $3,000 to fund a well near a school. Therefore, students decided to set $3,000 as their goal. Most likely, each organization will share suggested donations and explain how each amount will support their cause.

• Determine how you will raise the money. I suggest selecting a fundraising method that aligns with the PBL purpose or objectives to make it a transformational experience versus a transactional experience. You could choose to sell products and take the profit to donate to the organization, or you might host an event and donate the proceeds. Transactional fundraising is when supporters buy a product (often popcorn, wrapping paper, or candy) and the school selling the product keeps a percentage of the proceeds. This is how most schools execute fundraising, which works for most general purposes.

Let's revisit the PBL unit with the driving question, "How can we help bring clean, safe drinking water to communities in need?" Remember that the class fundraising goal is to sponsor a well. Rather than simply selling a product to raise money, this is an opportunity for our students to use some creativity. However, we want to connect the fundraiser to a cause related to the PBL unit. 

One way to turn fundraising into a learning opportunity is to have these students teach a donor a fact about how unsanitary drinking water impacts someone's health. Then, in exchange for each fact, the donor contributes a set amount of money. Alternatively, you could structure the fundraiser as a crowdfunding campaign. In this situation, students could virtually showcase what they learned about how water quality impacts lives, share their fundraising goals with prospective donors, and solicit online donations. The point is to create a way to raise funds that require students to connect the fundraiser to what they are learning about the topic to ensure that the PBL goals stay top of mind.

• Determine how you will collect the money. Check with your school administration to determine the best way to collect funds. Some schools have to partner with their PTA or have a specific protocol for managing fundraiser money. You need to decide whether it is safe to collect cash or if you prefer for all donations to occur online. Depending on the nonprofit organization, they may provide a fundraising page where donors can contribute. You can give your personalized donation page to donors and view progress updates in real time. This relieves you of some stress since you do not have to collect and track the money.

• Notify parents that students will participate in the fundraiser. Share the PBL unit objectives, what students will learn, how they will learn, and why this topic is essential. Go beyond the fact that it's part of the school curriculum and describe how it relates to real life. Explain how the fundraiser connects to student learning goals to get them excited. Share some ideas for how parents can assist with the fundraiser and provide ideas that range in levels of involvement. Also, encourage parents to check with their employer for matching donations which will help students quickly reach their fundraising goal. Fundraisers are excellent opportunities to include parents in their children's learning experience. 

• Solicit support with managing the fundraiser. If you are executing the project-based learning unit as a team, determine who will complete each task. Consider creating milestones and deadlines. Work together to determine when you will begin and end the donation collection and establish what materials are required for the fundraiser. Create a way to track and communicate progress to your volunteers. If you are the only teacher planning and executing the fundraiser, reach out to other teachers or parents for assistance. There are plenty of people who will be happy to assist you; utilize their help to make this PBL fundraiser a success.

• Launch the fundraiser. After creating a plan of action and recruiting adult volunteers, it's time to execute the fundraiser. Utilize your timeline to stay on track with deadlines and milestones. Regardless if students meet their donation goal, celebrate their effort and commitment to contributing to a worthy cause.

Take action:

Identify a list of nonprofit organizations whose mission aligns with your project-based learning topic. Allows students to decide which organization to support.