“Challenges make you discover things about yourself that you never really knew.” ~ Cicely Tyson
In a year full of challenge, adversity, growth, and success, a project that began as an invitation to participate in meaningful post-Almeda fire recovery efforts became so much more.
The Bus Project began as an idea to help the community recover from the devastating wildfires of September 2020 and support students through the difficulties of distance learning. With the loss of so many homes, a creative and innovative solution emerged to aid in the local housing crisis and close the gaps in student learning.
TMC partnered with the Skoolie Home Foundation, Southern Oregon Educational Service District (SOESD) and CTE Teacher Justin Eager to come up with a plan to transform a 40ft Bluebird School Bus into housing for a family impacted by the Almeda fire. 9 months later, that idea has become a reality.
With the educational goal of igniting student interest in the construction trades, the project delivered hands-on experience for students to demolish, design and rebuild a school bus into temporary housing. The experiential learning opportunities helped build awareness, encourage exploration, and engage students connecting them with regional pathways into high-wage, high-demand fields. The Project specifically aimed to advance opportunities for rural, low-income, students of color, and girls in CTE and STEM.
Thanks to our builders, instructors, and project partners, The Bus Project Building Plans and Curriculum can be accessed for free on our website. We are grateful to SOESD for supporting these efforts in providing accessible learning opportunities for teachers and students everywhere. Check out our Bus Project page here.
A little more about The Bus Project….
Students = Builders!
“We move what we’re learning from our heads to our hearts through our hands.” ~ Brene Brown
Student builders from Phoenix High School, South Medford High School and Armadillo Technical Institute worked on the Bus Project from April 2021 until January 2022. These students were the actual workforce behind the entire project and the reason it has been so successful. Their grit, determination, and enthusiasm for helping others - even while many of them were impacted by the fire themselves - brought positivity and motivation to the project. They learned important skills along the way, made connections with each other and gained self confidence and ownership in accomplishing their goals.
We had several amazing instructors from lead builders to folks we consulted with along the way. Justin Eagar, CTE teacher from South Medford High School, was a constant resource on every level. His experience working with students helped build the framework for everything we did. TMC’s lead instructor, Piper Tamler, worked directly with students teaching skills that will last a lifetime. Piper carefully constructed the Builder Plans and documented the weekly progress with our Bus team. Our on site instructors at South Medford High School were Eric Day and Katie Buttermore. They worked with the construction intern students after school, providing an expanded learning option for participation in the project. And TMC’s Shop Coordinator, Philip Oje was instrumental in providing all of the 3D plans for the bus working with students to accurately measure every inch of the 40ft BlueBird to provide accurate diagrams.
The Infamous Construction Timeline
“I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.” ~ Douglas Adams
The Bus project consisted of one lead builder and up to five high school students at a time for two school terms - approximately six months. Students were present one day per week in two separate 2-hour sessions, and our lead builder worked an additional 2-3 days per week with assistance from a variety of builders and volunteers.
During this time, the group completed demolition, design, insulation, electrical work, and built-in furniture. The Bus will now be passed onto another group of students to complete at South Medford High School.
Like any good construction project, our original timeline fell somewhat short. Due to southern Oregon’s summer “smoke season”, supply chain delays and COVID restrictions, our original 6 month timeline was inevitably extended. The Bus will be completed by a new group of students at South Medford High School over the next several months with a goal of completion by June of 2022.
People Helping People
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” ~ Margaret Mead
One of the many goals of this project was to bring together multiple community partners. There are many individuals, organizations, and businesses that contributed to the progress and success of the Bus Project. Everyone involved was interested in advancing CTE and STEM opportunities for rural students, families living on low-incomes, students of color, and girls.
A huge amount of gratitude goes out to the businesses and organizations that made this project possible. We hope you will support the businesses that supported us through this project. Without their contributions, this project never would have happened. Visit our Partners & Collaborators page to see the full list of project supporters.
Driving the Bus Project Home
“To make great ideas a reality, we must act, experiment, fail, adapt, and learn on a daily basis.” ~ Jocelyn K. Glei
What began as an idea, became a reality. The Bus Project brought challenge, victory, education, connection, frustration, and success. The Bus is now at 90% complete and ready for the last components. We can’t wait to drive this dream home.
