DA Giving Day is Your Chance to Say ‘Thank You’
3-minute read
On Tuesday, Cavs across the country and around the globe will join with current Durham Academy families in gratitude for the teachers and experiences that make DA such an exceptional place to learn. March 25 marks Durham Academy’s ninth-annual Giving Day — a fundraising extravaganza for the school community that means so much to us all.
The goal for Giving Day is widespread participation in support of the Durham Academy Fund — not dollar amounts — so your support is invaluable, no matter the amount of your gift! Follow the action all day on Tuesday at da.org/givingday, where you’ll see parent and alumni leaderboards, updates from social media (use the hashtag #DAgivingday to amplify your support), a heat map of donors and more. Students can also get in on the Giving Day excitement by dressing in green and white on Tuesday!
The Durham Academy Fund is the building block of support for DA’s people and programs, providing immediate impact through the school’s operating budget. This supports areas including experiential learning opportunities (think Senior Challenge and field trips); arts and humanities; diversity, equity and engagement; athletics; sustainability efforts; STEM education; student financial aid; professional development opportunities; and Innovation Journey Fund projects.
Perhaps more than anyone, DA teachers appreciate watching the donor progress bar grow throughout the day and seeing familiar names on the donor appreciation list. By supporting the Durham Academy Fund, you are supporting their work and saying “thank you.” Here’s what a few DA teachers and community members had to say about Giving Day, the DA Fund and what your generosity makes possible:
The DA Fund Strengthens Faculty-Student Connection
“What I love most about Durham Academy is our students! Our DA Cavaliers are creative, curious, hardworking and happy. Their creativity promotes a love of learning. I also love that the faculty and staff put forth great effort to learn about each student: their interests, their talents, their achievements, what's challenging to them. We study our students so that we can help them find their passions and foster their love for those topics and interests. In addition, I also love that students can perform in a musical and play a sport. Students can be on the Debate Team as well as audition for In The Pocket. There are many 'crossover' opportunities for our students, which allows them to expand their creativity, talents and passions.”
Libby Lang '89
Second Grade teacher, alum
The DA Fund Empowers Resilient Learning
“There is this moment where you see the kids go from, ‘I'm never going to be able to do this.’ … And then there is a moment where they put the thing together. Sometimes they have to fix it a few times, but then they realize, ‘Oh, wait: I can do this.’ It's a really beautiful thing to see them being more confident, to say, ‘Oh, I could do this thing.’ And then you see that confidence start to grow, because not only have they figured out how to do the thing, but then when the person next to them has that same problem, now they've become sort of an expert in something that they really didn't know how to do, and now they're able to help people around them build their own skills. And this space becomes this collaborative island where they're going through and building on what they had no idea how to do before and are really feeling successful. And so often as they’re reflecting, they're like, ‘I realized that I can do hard things. Things are going to get broken and I can figure out how to fix them. Sometimes I need to ask for help, but that's also good. And if I don't give up, I'm going to be able to achieve so much.’ … And it's an amazing thing. That’s where the real deep learning comes from.”
Melissa Mack
Middle School Digital Learning Coordinator & STEAM teacher
The DA Fund Supports Professional Development
“The DA Fund plays a transformative role in supporting DA’s commitment to empowering faculty to be lifelong learners. Giving Day enables us [our faculty] to fully engage in professional development opportunities that enhance our teaching and leadership. Whether we’re attending the annual NAIS People of Color Conference (POCC), actively participating in certification programs, and attending or presenting at regional and national conferences, these opportunities allow educators to bring innovative, real-world knowledge and experience into the classroom and/or our respective roles. Giving fuels the heart of our institution and has a profound effect on the lives of our entire community.”
Tyrone Gould
Upper School Dean of Students, math teacher & parent
The DA Fund Sustains Capstones & Other Signature Programs
“I don't know if you know that Machu Picchu hike, but you suffer. It's a beautiful suffering because you cannot breathe. You're so tired. But when you lift your head, it's so beautiful. It's breathtaking. But it's amazing when the guide is explaining something about the Incas or the Peruvian traditions and the students turn to me, and they're like, ‘You told us this.’ That's a great thing. Not only do they remember, but also they are seeing it. That is true in a way that is real. And they are connecting to that. As a teacher, that's wonderful. As a Peruvian, I'm so proud of all the Incas and my roots. And they get to experience even more of the things that I don't have the space to teach them.”
Liliana Simón
Upper School Spanish teacher, parent & parent of alum
The DA Fund Enhances Instructional Excellence
“If you like teaching, if this is what you want to do, it's a really great place to do it. You work with really smart people, you work with really great kids and great families. And then I just think as a teacher, you're given lots of opportunity. … I've done a lot of professional development. Opportunities to keep learning, trying new things. DA does a good job of empowering people — the autonomy that I feel, the trust that I have as an educator to make decisions based on what I think is best for the students in my care.”
Sloan Nuernberger
Kindergarten teacher & cross-country coach
The DA Fund Provides Life-Changing Experiences
“The DA Fund has directly supported extra, above-and-beyond experiences within my dance program over the years. My students and I have benefited from breathtaking dance performances and field trips — which, without the support of the DA Fund, would've been cost-prohibitive and difficult to consider adding into my curriculum. Immersing our students in life-changing experiences — like watching the artistic excellence of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre — has been a highlight for many of the dancers, and was made possible with support from the DA Fund.”
Laci McDonald
Upper School Dean of Students and dance teacher, parent