Model Classroom in a bus - Washington, DC

[egragert]

Hello Everyone,

I'm writing from the Global Campaign for Education-US. We are an advocacy coalition of 70+ organizations working to ensure universal access to a quality education around the world. In the US we find that most people cannot imagine the hurdles that kids globally face to get an education. We're looking into converting a small school bus to be a model classroom from Kenya. We have the classroom exhibit, but don't know anything about conversion of a school bus. We would like to take the exhibit to Congress and to community events and college campuses across the country.

Advice welcome since I'm totally new to this.

Regards,

Ed
Ed Gragert

[bansil]

Welcome
I am confused, you want to buy a small bus, take out the seats, and remodel it to look like a small classroom in Kenya.

I am thinking you need to buy a bus, take out seats and hire an interior decorator and a carpenter to assemble your project

this site is more about adding electric/water/bathrooms solar etc for people to live and travel in

I have been to classrooms in several Afrikan countries and I still can not imagine what you are looking to achieve, we delivered paper and pencils to remote village classrooms, most out doors under lean to's or mud/grass huts

did see one out of mud bricks and scrap wood

Please post pictures of progress and intentions

Thanks
and
good luck

do you plan to sleep and eat in this project

[egragert]

Hi bansil,

We have found that it is hard/impossible for most people in the US to visualize what many kids have to go through to get an education. So we are hoping to give Members of Congress and the general public a chance to experience a Kenyan classroom first-hand--through the exhibit on the bus. Yes, we would remove the seats and install the benches, etc. from the classroom. I tried to several times to attach some photos of the exhibit, but the forum has timed out 3 times. I'll try no photos.

We are not planning to eat/sleep on the bus.

Hopefully, this message will be uploaded.

Ed

[crazycal]

Originally Posted by egragert

Hi bansil,

We have found that it is hard/impossible for most people in the US to visualize what many kids have to go through to get an education. So we are hoping to give Members of Congress and the general public a chance to experience a Kenyan classroom first-hand--through the exhibit on the bus. Yes, we would remove the seats and install the benches, etc. from the classroom. I tried to several times to attach some photos of the exhibit, but the forum has timed out 3 times. I'll try no photos.

We are not planning to eat/sleep on the bus.

Hopefully, this message will be uploaded.

Ed

Maybe you can just send to members of Congress to Kenya one way. They can help with building new schools. It would be great PR for them and help with their re-elections.

I am aware of the situation in Africa. My daughter was in the Peace Corps for just over 2 years. My experience is not firsthand but close enough. I'll tell you a little secret, the money never gets to where it is supposed to go and the poor people are left with the short end of the stick.

[egragert]

Hi, Thanks for the suggestion for send members of Congress to Kenya. I wish I had that much money. But, I do have financial resources to contract with someone (from the Skoolie.net community?) to pay someone to convert a bus.

Anyone interested in working on such a conversion? What would you charge?

Ed

[EastCoastCB]

I'd do it for next to nothing just to help with a GOOD cause. I work VERY cheap...
do you have a website?

[EastCoastCB]

I subscribed to this thread, and there are responses not showing up. Weird. They still show in my inbox though.

[egragert]

Hello, Thanks for the helpful comments. Our website is at: Global Campaign For Education United States Chapter

I welcome your help in making this project a reality. My e-mail: egragert@gce-us.org

[claydbal]

maybe you could call sally struthers?

[EastCoastCB]

Sorry you're getting such rude responses OP. I'd complain to the mods, but...

[claydbal]

whats rude? you too young to remember sally?

[crazycal]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Sorry you're getting such rude responses OP. I'd complain to the mods, but...

I think you need to take a chill pill.

[aaronsb]

I would like to know more about what you're end goal with what a model classroom is.

Are you proposing that classrooms could be built in buses in Kenya?

Or are you attempting to replicate what an ideal learning environment in a small space (as if you teleported it from Kenya) looks like?

Because those are two very different things.

If you're trying the former (busses built in kenya) I think that's a non-starter. I would recommend trying a 40' shipping container, which is far more likely to arrive somewhere out that direction than an old american school bus.

If you're trying the latter, then I think you've got something relevant here - although you could just as easily accomplish this in the rear end of a box delivery truck.

Am I close?

Originally Posted by egragert

Hello Everyone,

I'm writing from the Global Campaign for Education-US. We are an advocacy coalition of 70+ organizations working to ensure universal access to a quality education around the world. In the US we find that most people cannot imagine the hurdles that kids globally face to get an education. We're looking into converting a small school bus to be a model classroom from Kenya. We have the classroom exhibit, but don't know anything about conversion of a school bus. We would like to take the exhibit to Congress and to community events and college campuses across the country.

Advice welcome since I'm totally new to this.

Regards,

Ed
Ed Gragert