The Hawaii Department of Education today announced the distribution of $2.5 million to qualifying DonorsChoose projects by public school teachers, thanks to the support of philanthropists Lynne and Marc Benioff.

DonorsChoose is a nonprofit, fundraising platform public school teachers can use to request classroom supplies or items needed for specific projects.

DOE said the $2.5 million is part of a fall campaign that will go to more than 3,500 teachers at 268 campuses in Hawaii, including 251 public schools and 17 charter schools.

Lynne and Marc Benioff are longtime Hawaii residents. Marc Benioff is chair and CEO of Salesforce.

“We are so grateful to Marc and Lynne Benioff for their continued support, partnership and generosity toward Hawaii’s teachers and students,” said Superintendent Keith Hayashi in a news release. “This funding directly empowers our educators to bring creative and impactful learning experiences into their classrooms. These campaigns are more than just financial support – they are an investment in the well-being and academic success of our students, while also providing critical resources that encourage teacher retention and growth across our public schools.”

When a project is fully funded, DonorsChoose purchases all the requested items and ships them directly to the teachers.

Some examples of fully funded projects at Hawaii public schools include an assembly line production with legos for Konawaena Middle School in Captain Cook; National Geographic readers for an animal science research project at Waiakeawaena Elementary School in Hilo; STEM lab supplies for Kalaheo Elementary School on Kauai; tide pool field trip supplies for Hana High & Elementary School on Maui; and a fashion design student workshop at Farrington High School in Honolulu.

According to DOE’s news release, the requests this year included a notable increase in STEM and mental health projects.

Through the ongoing partnership, the DOE said, the Benioffs have now provided more than $10 million for the state’s public school teachers, including $3 million for the current school year. The latest donations bring their total Hawaii philanthropy to more than $250 million.

Recently, the Benioffs also funded the Lahaina HERO Awards recognizing teachers, administrators and DOE employees who played a critical role in keeping Lahaina schools open after the devastating Aug. 8 wildfires on Maui last year.

“Nothing is more important than our children’s education and our public schools,” said Marc and Lynne Benioff in a joint statement. “We are deeply inspired by the incredible dedication of Hawaii’s teachers and so happy to be able to support their work.”

Another round of support for DOE DonorsChoose projects is planned in the spring.