Helping ‘Clear the List’ for Southern California Teachers

Edison International funds STEM projects in underserved classrooms throughout SCE’s service area.
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Stories : Giving Back
Stories : Giving Back

Helping ‘Clear the List’ for Southern California Teachers

Edison International funds STEM projects in underserved classrooms throughout SCE’s service area.



Eighth graders at Badger Springs Middle School in Moreno Valley have been counting the days until blastoff.

“They get really excited with the rockets; there are a lot of ‘oohs’ and ‘ahs,’” said science teacher Jared Hardman. “Many students, even from other classrooms, get excited to take my class, and they’re always asking what project we’ll do next.”

This class project involves newly purchased air compressors, partly filled two-liter water bottles that serve as rockets that are launched high in the air before crashing back down to earth. Students learn how to calculate the mass, acceleration and force of the liftoff. They’ll then attach a parachute to a second prototype to compare the hang time of each launch.

The supplies needed to bring Hardman’s rocket launch lesson plan to life were provided through
DonorsChoose and Edison International. The project is one of 76 STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) projects in 69 underserved K-12 schools throughout Southern California Edison’s service area that Edison International helped fund this year.

Students learn how to calculate the mass, acceleration and force of the bottle rocket liftoff.
Students learn how to calculate the mass, acceleration and force of the bottle rocket liftoff.

DonorsChoose is a platform where teachers can post projects they need help funding. People can make donations to #ClearTheList of supplies teachers need for their students. #ClearTheList is a national movement to help teachers pay for resources they would otherwise need to pay for out of pocket.

“Edison International is proud to partner with DonorsChoose and supports the important work of STEM educators across Southern California,” said Bronwen Begakis, SCE Corporate Philanthropy advisor. “About 94% of U.S. teachers spend their own money on school supplies, and we’re so happy to help lessen those out-of-pocket costs to help educators focus on shaping young minds of the future.”

This is Hardman’s 14th project in six years funded by DonorsChoose, which has helped him raise about $5,000.

“In my first year of teaching, we had nothing, no resources. Edison’s funding has made all the difference by enabling us to have hands-on learning,” Hardman said. “The eighth graders here are reading at a third-grade level, so taking things beyond the textbook to something they can handle better has been really helpful.”

Sixth-grade teacher Ashley Silva’s students
at Dolores Huerta International Academy in Fontana are building a miniature golf course using a programmable ball that moves through a series of miniature golf holes with robotic, interactive features throughout the course. Students plan, design and engineer each hole to breathe life into ancient civilizations from their textbooks, such as the Incas, Aztecs and Mayans.

Students at Dolores Huerta International Academy in Fontana are building a miniature golf course with interactive features.
Students at Dolores Huerta International Academy in Fontana are building a miniature golf course with interactive features.

“The project is really difficult,” Silva said. “I am challenging the students to use advanced technologies, code robotics and create animatronics for the golf course.”

Silva needed over $3,000 and had been raising money since late July, when she had all but given up hope.
“Since it was such a big project, I knew it would take time, not get funded at all or I’d have to pay out of pocket myself. Even with help from friends and family, I was still about $2,000 short when I woke up to an email saying my project had been fully funded by Edison,” Silva said.

“I don’t think I can explain the impact this funding has had on my classroom. If it weren’t for Edison, I wouldn’t have been able to do it,” Silva said. “When I came to school and gave my students the news, they were ecstatic. It's incredible to see them get excited to learn and come to school. I think it really opens their eyes to the possibilities of careers in STEM.”

For more information on how to support a teacher near you, visit
donorschoose.org.

To learn more about Edison International's community work, visit edison.com/community.