Teachers need to think creatively to engage their students, and at Tomales High, funding classroom projects also requires thinking outside the box. The school is raising money through an online resource that connects teachers with donors. Tina Rhigetti, a Tomales High alumna who has taught science at the school for 35 years, just funded a project for her physics classes. Throughout the year, Ms. Rhigetti presents her junior and senior physics students with a variety of projects focused on applied learning. Past projects have included solar car kits, toothpick bridges and soda bottle rocket launches with egg astronauts. While hands-on work allows students to learn from their mistakes, it often comes with more expenses. For the latest project, Ms. Rhigetti’s students will learn about electricity and electric circuits, then build solar cars from kits thanks to nearly $500 she fundraised on the online platform Donors Choose. It was her first time using the platform, which ensures all donations go directly to the project. John McGurke, the principal at Tomales High, said before there were programs like Donors Choose, teachers often covered extra expenses out of pocket. Fundraising means “a teacher can put it out there with no red tape to cut through,” he said. “We have other projects that are still in need of funding—especially in support of scholarships, classroom technology and athletics.” Projects like the solar car kits engage students’ critical thinking skills and make connections between the concepts they’re learning and their practical relevance; Ms. Rhigetti says they also make learning fun. Students add their own creative spin to the cars, testing and modifying the design based on results, and though all the cars get running, she said, “some are more successful than others!” The project culminates with a presentation on the experiment that links it to physics principles discussed in class. Mr. McGurke is excited for the students and says his teaching staff strives to engage students in transformative lesson plans. He says the school is doing well financially, but budgets have their limitations and unexpected needs do arise. “I want to communicate how generous our community has been,” he said.