MARTINSBURG -- After almost four years of waiting, Jefferson County Schools (JCS), James Rumsey Technical Institute (JRTI), and the United Way of the Eastern Panhandle presented the JCS Mobile Learning Lab to the public. The unveiling occurred during the United Way's Annual Celebration on June 15.
Developed by JCS students attending classes at James Rumsey, the Mobile Learning Lab consists of a former school bus reconfigured to offer K-8 students STEM-based learning opportunities delivered right to their doors. JCS Superintendent Dr. Bondy Shay Gibson-Learn said she was excited to see the vision come to fruition.
"It has been a long journey," Dr. Gibson-Learn said. "We started this partnership before the pandemic, and we are so grateful to the United Way and James Rumsey for sticking with this and getting it done for kids."
Dr. Gibson-Learn said the idea for the lab came from United Way CEO Penny Porter.
"The JCS Mobile Learning Lab would not exist without Ms. Porter’s vision and determination," she said.
The United Way committed $40,000 to support the project. This funding helped convert a Thomas Freightliner school bus donated by JCS into the current mobile learning unit. The Departments of Instruction and Transportation collaborated to develop specifications and content criteria to implement the lab, which will assist parents in developing early literacy concepts in children before they begin their formal education. Training materials will help support this process in a safe, dedicated space for guided parent-child interaction.
"You can learn everywhere in life," Dr. Gibson-Learn said. "This design is meant to make school a welcoming place - to bring school to folks no matter where they are."
Student leaders at JRTI designed the physical structure of the lab, its functionality for children, and the aesthetic design. They researched the top 10 languages in Jefferson County and used those to say 'Welcome!' all around the bus. "
The JCS Mobile Learning Lab will be used to support families and students in their home communities during the school year and beyond.