We have been in education long enough to know that it can be quite challenging to get funding for resources to use in the classroom. Even when you know that a particular resource is the one your students need, it can be hard to convince the financial decision makers to say "yes". With this in mind, we have come up with some proven strategies you can use to get funding for the Calc Medic AP Calculus or AP Precalculus Exam Review Course for your students.
First Things First: Get a Quote
If you are going to make a request for funds, you need to know how much to ask for. Once you have the quote in hand, you know what goal to shoot for. Click here to get a quote.
Ask Your Department Leader, School Leader, District Leader
Schools have different departments with many different budgets for each of those departments, so finding the right person to ask can be difficult. We usually start right in our own math department, like the time our department chairperson got us chart paper or helped us laminate all those cards sorts (thanks Molly!) For bigger budget items, we have gone to our school principal or even the district curriculum director, like the time we got funding to attend the NCTM conference (thanks Omar and Evan!) The most important question you need to be able to answer is "How will this improve student learning and performance?" For the Calc Medic Review Course, the answer is:
The Calc Medic AP Exam Review Course was developed by successful and experienced AP teachers with the intentional goal of strengthening and summarizing student learning, so that students can maximize their AP score. This is achieved by having students engage with short content videos full of targeted AP Exam tips, followed by multiple choice and free response practice, and then immediate feedback on their responses.
Use Platforms Designed to Raise Funds for Teachers
There are many websites built to facilitate social fundraising for teachers. The general public is well aware of the funding shortfalls when it comes to education and is often ready and willing to help support.
Here is a short list of websites specifically made for educators.
DonorsChoose
AdoptAClassrom
ClassWish
DigitalWish
Get Creative
When we surveyed teachers that have previously used the Review Course, we were amazed at the variety of funding sources they were able to find. Here is a short list:
local businesses (grocery stores, restaurants, STEM related businesses like engineering firms).
Parent Teacher Organizations (PTO).
Fundraisers (30 ideas here)
Technology grants
COVID related funding sources
STEM related funding sources
Combine Efforts With Other Schools In Your District
We do offer discounts for larger volume orders. Connect with other AP Calc and AP Precalc teachers in your district and then submit a quote request for the collective group. If you are a very large district and wanting to get access for all AP Calc or AP Precalc students in the district, please connect us to your district level administrators through email (sarah@calc-medic.com)
Have Students Pay Individually
We have a feature that allows for you to set up a cohort for free, and then invite students to pay individually and join your cohort. This will allow for you to monitor student progress, set due dates, and interact with your own students in the platform. Click here to create your cohort (click on the Review Course and then find the blue "Create Cohort" button).
Download this pdf for detailed instructions for AP Calculus:
Download this pdf for detailed instructions for AP Precalculus:
A Final Note
If you were able to get funding from a different resource that we don't have listed here, please contact us to let us know.