Masters of Scale - Busload of Books: Inside a family's yearlong book drive across America | Masters of Scale Summit '24
Matthew Swanson and Robbie Bear, a children's book author and illustrator, respectively, embarked on a mission to address the lack of access to books and author visits in low-income schools. They converted a school bus into a mobile home and traveled across the United States, visiting one underserved school in each state. Their initiative, called the 'Busload of Books Tour,' provided free assemblies and book giveaways to inspire children to read and create. They partnered with organizations like First Book and the Build-A-Bear Foundation to distribute thousands of books. Their efforts were supported by data collected by Washington College, which showed a significant increase in student interest in reading, writing, and drawing after their visits. The couple is now exploring virtual visits and video content to reach more children and sustain literacy engagement.
Key Points:
- Matthew Swanson and Robbie Bear lived on a converted school bus for a year to visit underserved schools and promote literacy.
- They provided free author visits and distributed thousands of books to children in low-income communities.
- Their initiative was supported by partnerships with First Book and the Build-A-Bear Foundation, which helped distribute 150,000 free books.
- Data from Washington College showed increased student interest in reading and creativity following their visits.
- They are exploring virtual visits and video content to expand their reach and impact.
Details:
1. 🎶 Introduction and Setting the Scene
- The segment features a musical introduction that sets the tone and atmosphere for the video, creating an engaging and immersive experience for the audience.
2. 🚌 Life on the Bus: A Year of Adventure
- Managing expectations when meeting new people is crucial to avoid unnecessary pressure, setting a realistic tone for interactions.
- The bus is not just a mode of transport but a central element of the adventure, requiring understanding and appreciation before exploring personal stories.
- The dual focus on managing expectations and the bus's significance sets the stage for a year of adventure, highlighting the interplay between personal growth and the physical journey.
3. 📚 Authors' Mission: Bringing Books to Schools
- The authors lived on a small school bus for a year with their four children and two dogs, highlighting their commitment to addressing educational challenges.
- The lack of basic amenities like a bathroom on the bus underscores the sacrifices made to pursue their mission.
- This unconventional living situation was a response to a significant problem they identified in the education system, specifically the lack of access to books in schools.
- Their journey was part of a broader mission to bring books and educational resources to underserved schools, demonstrating a hands-on approach to solving educational inequities.
4. 🏫 Challenges in Low-Income Schools: Stories and Struggles
- Author visits to schools are expensive, and most schools cannot afford them, limiting students' exposure to creative professionals.
- Garnett Elementary in Chestertown, Maryland, has 88% of its students living below or near the poverty line, indicating significant economic challenges.
- Students at Garnett often come to school hungry, exhausted, or dealing with trauma, which affects their ability to learn.
- The school's limited budget must cover essential services such as breakfast, lunch, mental health services, and interventions for students with special needs.
- Teachers at Garnett are working hard under challenging conditions but lack sufficient support, resources, and respect.
5. 📈 The Impact of Books and Author Visits
5.1. Statistical Insights on Book Access and Educational Inequality
5.2. Impact of Author Visits: A Case Study at Garnett
6. 🚍 The Busload of Books Tour Begins
- A decommissioned school bus was converted into a tiny home, featuring a tiny kitchen, table, and a rooftop popup compartment for sleeping.
- Partnered with literacy nonprofit First Book to distribute 5,000 books to 53 schools.
- Build-A-Bear Foundation funded an additional 125,000 free books for public school teachers nationwide.
- The tour began on August 30th, 2022, marking the start of a family journey across the country.
7. 🎨 Creative Storytelling with Kids
- The initiative involved a year-long tour across the United States, visiting one underserved school in each state.
- The tour included free assemblies and book giveaways, aiming to show children that authors and illustrators are regular people.
- The program emphasized that anyone can create a story, encouraging creativity among children.
- Each session concluded with a group brainstorming activity where children developed a story plot, including a hero, a problem, and a solution.
- The exercise was interactive, with the presenter capturing ideas on an iPad, resulting in surprising and humorous story outcomes.
8. 🌞 Creating a Story Together: Jenny's Ice Cream Adventure
- Jenny, a hippopotamus living in the Sahara, is the protagonist of the story, bringing a unique twist to her role as an ice cream maker.
- Her ambitious goal is to establish the best ice cream parlor on the planet, transcending the limitations of her desert environment.
- A standout feature of Jenny's parlor is the use of joyful and sustainable toppings, highlighting her commitment to environmental responsibility.
- The central conflict arises with the Sun, which is lactose intolerant and perceives Jenny's ice cream as a threat, attempting to melt it.
- Despite the Sun's efforts, the story is designed to conclude with a happy ending, showcasing Jenny's resilience and innovation.
9. 💡 Empowering Kids Through Creativity: Context and Impact
- The exercise of creating stories with children, initially seen as a fun activity, revealed its empowering value by enabling kids to envision bigger possibilities.
- Traveling across the country, the realization emerged that creativity fosters empowerment, especially for children who lack exposure to diverse opportunities.
- The mission initially aimed at addressing literacy deserts, but the most significant impact was instilling a sense of possibility and empowerment in the communities visited.
- Feedback from hosts consistently highlighted gratitude for the empowerment and inspiration provided to the children.
- The storytelling activities not only addressed literacy challenges but also served as a catalyst for broader community engagement and development.
10. 📊 Data-Driven Success: Proving the Impact
- The initiative involved a partnership with the education department at Washington College, Chestertown, Maryland.
- 11,000 surveys were collected from 6,000 students and teachers across 26 schools nationwide.
- The data revealed a statistically meaningful increase in student interest in reading, writing, and drawing following the visits.
- The study provided concrete data to support anecdotal evidence of the positive impact of author visits on students.
11. 🌍 Scaling the Mission: Virtual Visits and Beyond
- The literacy program has successfully reached underserved kids by traveling 34,000 miles, visiting 53 schools, and distributing 150,000 free books.
- Despite these efforts, 46,916 schools remain unvisited, indicating a significant need for scalable solutions.
- To address this, phase two involves testing virtual visits to expand reach and developing video content to maintain literacy engagement over time.
- There is a strong encouragement to scale small local initiatives to achieve a broader impact.
12. 🤔 Call to Action: Making a Difference in Your Community
- Identify a challenge in your community that needs addressing.
- Consider who your key stakeholders or partners (referred to as 'JP') might be in tackling this challenge.
- Reflect on unique or creative solutions (metaphorically referred to as 'your colorful school bus') that can be implemented.
- Leverage storytelling skills to engage and mobilize community members.
- Encourage proactive thinking about the next steps to take in making a positive impact.