Kickstarter

Why a mobile classroom?                                                                                   Some of you may ask, "What's wrong with the classrooms that we have?" The answer is nothing. Teachers across the nation are doing phenomenal things, unfortunately, they are doing them with limited support and resources. Budgets for schools and classrooms have disappeared. If a teacher has a creative or innovative idea (hmmm....sound familiar?) for education beyond the classroom, he or she is unable to pursue extracurricular field trips due to funding restraints. So why not bring the field trip to them?

Alternative: Project Eco ROVER - Tomorrow's Classroom

A repurposed motorcoach, really?                                                                     Why not? Trust us, no one has experienced a classroom like this. The idea of taking something that has ran its last leg of hauling photo-snapping tourists, sports teams, or church groups back and forth from city to city can still serve a purpose on the planet. One of the foundational ideas behind the ROVER (Repurposed Outreach Vehicle for Education and Research) is to demonstrate the importance of maximizing the lifespan of items we consume. This can be a bus, a newspaper, or simply a lettuce salad. A lettuce salad? With the integrated modules aboard the ROVER, students will explore how many day to day items are connected in the environment and that just because we are done using them, that doesn't mean they still don't have a purpose. Using this mobile classroom to connect river systems with a vegetative roof, and a vermicomposting center, students will explore how many natural systems are able to recycle or reuse "things" that we as humans simply no longer have a use for, even a lettuce salad!

Why Kickstarter and what's the money for?                                                     Unfortunately, we cannot do this by ourselves. Our school systems sincerely need our help and through Kickstarter we can move one step closer to providing resources to classrooms that are eager to move forward. With the money raised through the Kickstarter event, Project Eco ROVER will be able to convert the 1985 MCI bus into Tomorrow's Classroom.  For $30,000 we will be able to retrofit a portable river model that will get tucked away in the cargo bays for easy transport and setup at schools and events. This unique river model is designed locally by Little River Research and Design using color-coded, recycled plastic in place of sand, and will be detachable to function outdoors or move indoors to meet specific needs.

In addition, for $20,000 we will be able to install a reinforced vegetative roof on top of the bus, equipped with native plants, a vegetable garden, and a stormwater capture system that will recycle rain water into the river model below. A safe walking area will be installed to allow students to visit the roof and conduct experiments on the different plants. For an additional $20,000, a mobile vermicomposting center will be constructed inside the bus. This setup will use Red Wiggler worms to recycle food scraps and plant debris into natural fertilizer for the plants growing on the roof. The remaining $5,000 of the $85,000 goal will go towards converting the motorcoach engine to run on recycled vegetable and motor oil. Revealing, yet again, how products can be repurposed even though their original use has come to an end.        

Upon completion of the overhaul, the ROVER will begin traveling to schools and communities. With the integrated approach of Tomorrow's Classroom, those who partake in ROVER activities will become engaged and inspired to see change in how we utilize our resources. This approach will empower future generations to be stewards of their resources and encourage them to build stronger relationships within their communities and schools. Not necessarily for change, but for moving society forward.