A fun and new way of learning has been introduced by South Washington County Schools Community Education. A school bus has been converted to a mobile classroom, or CE Skoolie. “In May, we continued the renovations and installed the desks, tabletops and chairs,” youth programs coordinator Sue McKeown says. Throughout the summer, there have been a variety of Paint the Bus events where families were encouraged to come and help paint CE Skoolie.
A large variety of classes and activities for children are being held in CE Skoolie. Going forward, offerings will include “enrichment classes on the bus including art and robotics, [plus] gardening and some fun outdoor activities too,” says Jacqueline Valek, communications specialist. CE Skoolie has also been used to answer any questions people may have about the school district’s summer learning program. “We have a summer online program; they can go to the bus for help with these questions with a teacher on board,” McKeown says.
CE Skoolie was created to make it easier for students to learn. “We wanted to be in parks and attract people who maybe didn’t have the transportation to our classes in the buildings. We’re able to bring our classes to them,” McKeown says. Valek adds, “We’re trying to pop up with our bus within walking distance of these neighborhoods, so kids can participate in our programming.” The CE Skoolie program has an app that can be downloaded onto a smart phone, showing where the bus is at all times. There’s also WiFi on the bus, so that children who don’t have internet are able to use it while
in class.
