Cents in Action: Katie Devivo
Welcome to our fourth Cents in Action blog post. Every Sunday, we will be featuring an educator who has used our site to raise money for a school or classroom need. Last week, we featured Erin Johnson of The Soulsville Charter School. You can check it out here if you missed it!
Meet Katie Devivo of Lake Worth Community High School in Lake Worth, Florida. Katie teaches reading and dance at this high-poverty high school, and she has completed SIX causes on PledgeCents and raised almost $2,500 for her reading classes and dance team! Her seventh cause is on the site right now, and she is already half-way to her goal.
Katie was kind enough to share some of her thoughts and experiences regarding teaching and PledgeCents. Here is just some of what she had to say!
How long have you been a teacher, and what is your favorite teaching moment from your career so far?
I am in my 10th year of teaching at the same school. I would have to say that graduation day is the best moment every year.
How much of your own money do you think you have put toward your classroom and students in any given year, and what have you spent it on?
I would say anywhere from $300-400 a year and that allows me to get the basics. I make sure to have binders, dividers, highlighters, and paper for every student. Since I teach reading, I need to also have an updated classroom library so I am buying new teen books all the time. I also teach dance so another $100-150 goes to making sure we have uniforms.
How did your students react when they received the resources PledgeCents helped you acquire?
It was the best day. When I told my students that the money was on its way and they got to pick out what they needed/wanted, they were so happy. When the mail came, we stopped class to open the boxes it was like Christmas.
What would be your advice to another teacher who is considering using PledgeCents?
Just do it. It does not take a lot of time, and it’s worth it. I know it sounds too good to be true, but there are people out there that want to help. It is better than spending your own money and you can get what your students need.
What are you planning on doing differently for your next cause?
I am working on getting video of my students so that everyone can put a face to the cause. I am working on getting parent permission.
Anything else you would like to add?
I hope more teachers take the time to take the first step. At first it does seem to good to be true and that there is a catch, but there is not. I don’t know what I would do without PledgeCents. My students would have missed out on so much. I now have the freedom to think outside the box, and we even have meetings where the students tell me what they want. They are taking their own time to come up with books and supplies they need/want.
Thanks so much to Katie for sharing her experiences with us, and we wish her the best of luck for this school year! You can contribute to her current cause here.
