Community Care is Self-Care: Why We’re Rallying Around Minnesota Teachers

On Wednesday, January 7, just a few hours after an ICE officer shot and killed Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old poet and mother of three, armed federal agents descended upon Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis. It was around 3:30PM—school had just been dismissed, and students trickled out of the building. Several agents got out of their unmarked, black SUVs, ran onto school grounds, and tackled students and staff members. Agents continued to hit individuals even after they were on the ground. Staff tried to keep the Border Patrol agents away from the students, but they were met with aggression, too. Eyewitnesses saw an agent drag someone along the sidewalk; they also shot pepper spray and pepper balls at bystanders; and according to the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers, tear gas was also used against community members. After the violent confrontation, with the city still reeling from the death of Good, Minneapolis Public Schools cancelled classes for the remainder of that week “out of an abundance of caution.”

What happened at Roosevelt High School is absolutely unacceptable. Schools should be spaces where students can show up, feel safe, and focus on learning, not a site of fear or disruption. They should remain safe havens for students and teachers alike. Education is at the center of Dieux’s ethos. We believe that education gives us the power to make informed decisions. This doesn’t just apply to skincare, but to every aspect of our lives. 

So, What Now?

We also believe that community care is self-care. When bad policies are enforced, the most vulnerable people—children—are impacted first. While the federal government continues to sow chaos in Minneapolis, we want to support teachers and students in Minnesota and help ease their load.

By way of DonorsChoose, 10% of all site proceeds on Friday, January 16th, will go toward funding public school classrooms in the Minneapolis area. Some classrooms, like Ms. Barrera’s, need donations for essential products, including Kleenex tissues and hand sanitizers. Other classrooms, like Ms. Beal’s, need supplies for hands-on science lab experiences. Children thrive in stable environments where they have everything they need to be successful, and DonorsChoose helps provide students with the tools needed for a great education.

How You Can Help Support Teachers in Minnesota

Below, you’ll find a list of several Minneapolis classrooms in need of support. You can either buy a Dieux product on Friday, and we’ll donate on your behalf, or you can donate directly to a project of your choice.

This is just the beginning of our ongoing support with DonorsChoose this year. (You can read more about it here.) As the world grows more frantic with each day, it is even more crucial that classrooms remain safe and nurturing spaces, away from all the noise, where students are free to learn. Thank you for helping us support them.

Classroom Projects

Ms. Kat at Marcy Open School ($561 needed)
Help me give my students an iPad, creative supplies, and snacks to create a safe space for their individual and group sessions that support their mental health, social-emotional learning, and positive relationships.

Ms. Hannah at Marcy Open School ($1,138 needed)
Help me give my students in the special education program meaningful resources to support their goals for speech/language and occupational therapy this year!

Ms. Midtling at North Community High School ($410 needed)
Help me give my students 3-ring binders to help keep their work organized!

Mr. Schadegg's Technology Class at Franklin Middle School ($987 needed)
Help me give my students a staffing drive-bot for our FIRST Tech Challenge Competition!

Ms. Nikki's classroom essentials at Cityview Community School ($129 needed)
I need wipes, crackers, markers, and other basic supplies to run my classroom.

Ms. Chris at Folwell Community School ($487 needed)
Help me give my students organization for learning centers. My room came with 4 walls and no storage, and I would like a spot to put the bins for centers for math and reading.

Ms. Stenzel at Lucy Craft Laney School ($381 needed)
Help me give my students craft supplies, dramatic play materials, and sensory bin items!

Mrs. Hoff at Harrison Education Center ($453 needed)
Help me give my students tools before escalation and by offering predictable, consistent sensory strategies tailored to individual needs, and foster positive school experiences in a safe and supportive learning environment.

Ms. Beal at Camden High School ($783 needed)
Help me give my students a variety of hands-on lab experiences that will reinforce lab skills with a focus on state standards in Earth and Space science.