Dear Editor,

Dear Editor,

Did you know that the U.S.A. ranks 29th in the world for high school student math and science performance while Finland ranks 6th?  The United States has a huge dilemma right now. We just aren’t producing enough kids who are proficient enough in math and science. We especially aren’t producing enough students of color who are interested in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

My name is Horace Buddoo and I am an African American educator who currently teaches high school mathematics in the Broward public school system. I have a great passion for education and teaching.

I have an exciting opportunity to spend a week in Finland on an educational tour that will take a group of educators to Helsinki, Finland to study and observe the operations of various schools in their world renowned school system from April 8-15. We would visit comprehensive schools, primary schools, secondary schools, and specialized schools. My goal is to immerse myself in the Finnish Educational system so that I can see in person what I have been reading about for years. I plan to share this knowledge in the form of workshops, presentations, blogs, podcasts, and professional development opportunities that would be easily accessible to educators and education stakeholders especially to the educators that teach in schools that support a high-needs population. I have always had a goal to impact education in a significant way. This opportunity will definitely help me to achieve that goal. However, I am in need of help for that goal.  I am trying to raise a minimum of $5,280 to help defray the basic costs of the trip which would include:

• Roundtrip ticket from Miami to Helsinki, Finland
• Room and board in Helsinki, Finland for one week
• Education materials provided by the sponsors of the trip
• Transportation to various schools and education centers
• Food for the week·
• Professional development sessions
• Other incidental

Please help by donating and/or connecting me with potential donors to this cause. Any donation amount would be appreciated. You can go to gofundme.com/teacher-trip-to-finland to donate or mrbuddoo.com for more information. Although the trip is in April 2017, I would need the funds as soon as possible to secure my trip. .

Please help me to make a positive impact on our education system by donating to my cause. Thank you in advance for helping me to transform the education one student, one teacher, and one school at a time.

Horace Buddoo Math Teacher

mrbuddoo.com