Finding money for La Jolla High School has grown into a hobby for physics teacher Martin Teachworth, who has taught at the school for the past 20 years. Teachworth has become rather apt at applying for grants from any hand that will extend funds, including the federal government, major companies and charity Websites. Teachworth sees himself as another fund-raising arm for the high school to provide materials and opportunities for students that exceed the curriculum requirements. He has pulled in an estimated $60,000 in grants for the high school in the past five years. “If people out there are willing to donate, let them help La Jolla High School,” Teachworth said. “Negating anything that comes from the alumni association, PTA or La Jolla Foundation, if our school had to survive solely on what the district gave us, it would be a very bleak and meager existence teaching at La Jolla High School for the sciences and the arts, math and English.” Teachworth is all over the place, asking for everything. He posted requests on the nationwide, online charity for schools, DonorsChoose.org, for seemingly small requests that strangers have paid for, such as medicine balls to demonstrate inertia, markers and crayons for drawing diagrams and meter tape and stopwatches. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will match donations that equip students for college. “They’re tiny things that, in theory, we could get the school to pay for but I’m supplementing,” said Teachworth, whose children attend the high school. Teachworth isn’t only pulling in money for his own classroom, however. The time-consuming grants he’s written have benefited various sectors of the school. For the past 16 years, Teachworth has successfully applied for a $1,000 grant from the Armed Forces Communication and Electronic Association. Auto shop students have used some of the money to convert a gas-powered car into an electric-powered vehicle. The grant has empowered other students to learn hands-on skills like soldering and electrical work, which has helped students land internships, Teachworth said. Teachworth pulled in a $10,000 grant from British Petroleum, also for the electric-powered automobile project wherein auto shop students converted the gas car into electric. The graphic arts students photographed the project and the physics students learned about the process. Four years ago, Best Buy granted the high school $17,500 to purchase computers, digital cameras and colored printers — yes, thanks to a grant Teachworth wrote, and his list goes on. “The special project that we have the kids doing — I couldn’t justify asking the community to raise the money because a lot of those things go totally above and beyond the curriculum for the state,” Teachworth said. Currently in the pipeline, Teachworth is asking philanthropic-minded strangers on DonorsChoose.org to dip into their pockets and supply his class with eight Bunsen burners, burner tips and a convection of gas apparatus on DonorsChoose.org. His set is too old and too dangerous. Teachworth is unsure why people are willing to donate online to schools they may have no connection with, but he welcomes the generosity. Teachworth hasn’t had any takers yet for the Bunsen burners, but the word’s out.