Actress and Portland native Anna Kendrick will fund 31 classroom projects at schools all over Maine this year through the online education charity DonorsChoose.org.
Kendrick and an anonymous donor will fund a total of 74 requests for project funding this year in Maine schools, said Maya Kriet, a spokesperson for DonorsChoose.org. Kriet would not say what the total amount of Kendrick’s donation is, but a list of Maine classroom projects funded through DonorsChoose.org shows that the typical funding amount ranges from a few hundred dollars to more than $2,000 per project.
The requests are for a wide variety of resources and projects, ranging from books and science equipment to field trips or a 3D printer. Teachers whose projects will be funded by Kendrick and the anonymous donor were being notified Thursday, Kriet said. DonorsChoose.org announced more than $14 million in donations from 50 people on Thursday, to fund some 12,000 projects nationwide.
The “flash funding” was to cover teacher requests made through DonorsChoose.org that weren’t funded yet this school year. The projects Kendrick’s donation will fund are in schools mostly in southern and central Maine from Sanford and Biddeford to Milo and Skowhegan.
During the 2015-16 school year, DonorsChoose.org has helped fund 539 projects in Maine, for a total of more than $360,000. Karen Fream, an instructional coach at East End Community School in Portland, said Thursday that Donors.Choose.org helped buy a 3D printer to be used by 200 students in grades 3-5. The charity’s website said the funding for that project was $2,274.24. The project was funded before Kendrick’s donation.
The group was started in 2000 by Charles Best, a high school teacher from Bronx, New York, to help cover classroom costs not covered by school budgets. Educators request funding for a project, which is then vetted before the information is posted on the website. Donors can search for a project and make a contribution.
An attempt to reach Kendrick through her publicist was unsuccessful Thursday, and Kriet said she did not have a statement from Kendrick on why she wanted to participate.
Kendrick, 30, is a 2003 Deering High School graduate. She was nominated for a best supporting actress Oscar in 2010 for her role in “Up in the Air.” She also starred in the hit musical “Pitch Perfect” and its sequel. Since 2003, she has appeared in more than 30 films and TV productions.
Staff Writer Ray Routhier can be contacted at 791-6454 or at:
rrouthier@pressherald.com
Twitter: @RayRouthier
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.