Sabbe Interior Design [the blog]: Giving + Sewing = Awesome {Memphis, listen up}

A couple of weeks ago my sweet friend Annelise introduced me to a program called Donors Choice and gave me the opportunity to select an organization to support with a $25 gift card. I did a little looking around and it did not take me long to decide on the Sew-ing Eagles. HELLO! I wish I would have known about this class when I was still in Memphis!! Here is what the teacher, Ms. Mott, writes:

My Students: Help! The "Sewing" Eagles need supplies! With limited school and household funds in our community this donation will truly be appreciated and allow us to learn basic sewing skills!
My 7th and 8th grade Teen Living students are a little rough around the edges but, they are eager to learn and they are hard workers. Most of my students come from single parent homes. Our school is not only a source of knowledge, but an outlet of exposure and opportunity. Our sewing projects will be evidence of their time in my class and most important, a sign of an accomplishment of a skill they learned and can take with them in the future.
My Project: Teen Living is not only a "home economics class, it is a class about life. What I teach in Teen Living helps students with personal life events but academic as well. By obtaining these sewing supplies my students will be able to complete their sewing unit. In sewing we learn about textiles, how to take care of our clothing, and clothing construction. Actually having the opportunity to sew helps to bring the lesson to life and have evidence of what we learned. The students can say "I did this in Teen Living". This lesson also hits on following instructions, reading, and measuring, skills students have to use daily. Having the opportunity to end this unit with the sewing project helps them in my class, but all classes.
Most of the students at my school did not make a proficient score on our state's standardized test. This means they aren't retaining what they need to learn. This will impact their future! The administration at my school hopes to use classes such as Teen Living to aid in test score gains through integrated instruction (ex. teaching fractions - measuring for a cake), exposure, and incentive. Studies show well-rounded students in well-rounded programs do better in school. Help our eagles soar.

HERE is a link to the materials list.

First of all, Ms. Mott sounds awesome, probably the Gregg Breinberg of Home Ec. Second, Memphians!, we know all of the less than great stories that come out about the public school system in the area. This is an opportunity to be a part of a good story. I was sick last week and let y'all miss the giveaway Annelise hosted for another $25 gift card to Donors Choice....SO....to make up for that, everyone who visits Donors Choice and leaves a donation for the Sew-ing Eagles will be entered in a drawing for this pillow sham, made out of one of my favorite Thomas Paul prints.