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‘Smart bus’ provides internet access to students living in motels
A new high-tech school bus is hitting the streets in Osceola County.
OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. - A SMART Bus is being driven around Osceola County, giving students who live in hotels access to the internet.
Osceola County Public Schools Director of Special Programs Leslie Campbell said the bus is part of a pilot program to take technology to students who do not have access to the internet. “We currently have about 2,500 homeless students and a third of those students live in hotels up and down 192.”
The bus is outfitted with 11 computer stations and chairs. Each station has a brand new laptop and hot spot so students can do their schoolwork.
“There’s the impression that these hotels all have wireless and internet access but not all of them do. They’re little mom and pops and the kids don’t have access to computers themselves,” Campbell said.
A teacher and two other school district employees drive the bus to two hotels every week where it is available to the students who live there for free. On Tuesdays, the bus goes to the Uno Hotel and on Thursdays the bus goes to the Duo Hotel. Students can register in front of the bus and then they get a one hour session on a laptop. At the end of the session each student gets a bag of snacks and a free book.
SMART Bus Project Manager Kim Miller said, “This is an opportunity that they wouldn’t have and if they don’t finish their homework during the day they can come on and use the bus.”
Campbell said the SMART bus idea originated with two Celebration High School students who came up with the idea for a community project. They bought an old bus on Craig’s List, outfitted it with laptops and took it around the community. When they graduated, the brothers donated the bus to the school district, who took the concept and renovated a surplus bus into the SMART Bus being used today.
Miller said she is glad she can continue the brother’s legacy of helping others.
“I had one mother that said I can tell that somebody cares about us out here. So I think that’s where it’s so rewarding to be able to be a part of that.”
A Families in Transition program assistant is also on-board the bus to help connect students and their families to beneficial programs.
Campbell said the school district used two grants to renovate the SMART Bus.
The pilot program will run through May and there are plans to hopefully expand the program.