By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
The bright, midday sunlight reflected off the burgundy of the newly-acquired “Tiny Trojans” mobile learning bus as district personnel, children, teachers and community members gathered in front of the Trojan Way preschool academy steps to celebrate the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the district’s newest educational outreach tool.
Obtained through the Kentucky Department of Education Office of Special Education and Early Learning, the mobile learning bus is essentially a “classroom on wheels” that features numerous hands-on and educationally stimulating activities and equipment.
The bus will be driven throughout the county by lead preschool teacher Denise Rose, who has roughly 11 of experience with the district and more than 20 years in the early learning field — she also has the appropriate license to drive the bus; something, she said, she earned during her previous job working for Head Start.
“The dream of being able to have mobile classroom is just to get out in the community [and] make parents’ aware of what preschool is, what it has to offer and how to bridge that gap between preschool and kindergarten, and especially ignite the sparks in those little learners for that desire and want to learn,” Rose said. “We have hands on learning materials, I will be on the bus…to help and teach them how to use the materials. It’s basically like being in a preschool program.”
Not only is this an educational opportunity for children, though that is to be the chief goal, but it is also a marketing opportunity as it will allow parents to ask questions and receive answers about the district’s preschool and kindergartens, Rose said.
“We’ll go out to community event and set up, and we’re going to schedule some different places to go,” Rose said. “We’ll set the bus up [there] and parents are welcome to bring their kids out.We’ll have information for the parents and we’ll have that learning time for the kids as well.”
Director of Special Programs Christa Middleton said this mobile learning bus was first thought of by her predecessor Cynthia York and she is excited to see that idea come to fruition.
“We knew we needed an innovative approach to offer services to children who were not yet enrolled in preschool, and we decided if they couldn’t come to us, then we could go to them,” Middleton said in the district press release. “When the Kentucky Department of Education offered the Early Learning Bus Grant, we knew it was the perfect opportunity to make the dream of a mobile classroom into a reality.”
All-in-all the “Tiny Trojan”mobile learning bus represents a win for parents and their children and as Rose pointed out the bus is free for parents to bring their children.
The inside of the burgundy bus is outfitted with numerous hands-on, educational items. Michael Crimmins/Glasgow News 1.
As the ribbon-cutting ceremony was going on the nearby Trojan Way preschool had a few children explore the bus. Photo courtesy of Barren County Schools.
