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In 2005, Tami Harvey began bringing children's books with her on her bus route to keep her students entertained throughout the ride. Today, the Words on Wheels program is a huge hit with students, parents, and bus drivers alike.If you've ever had a long commute to work, you know how desperate you can be for some entertainment to get you through it. Bus driver Tami Harvey recognized that feeling in her students as she took them to and from school every day. So, she came up with a plan to bring some extra excitement to their daily rides: a whole box of books! 
Some Light Reading Approximately 15 years ago, Tami began by bringing in some children's books from her collection to keep on the bus for students to "check out" during their rides. She quickly started to notice a dramatic improvement in the moods and behaviors of her riders. The students had an educational activity to keep them occupied throughout the ride and bring extra excitement to their trips to and from school. Not long after that, other drivers became inspired by Tami's idea. Boxes of books began popping up on buses all across the Student Transit fleet, encouraging more and more students to join in on the fun. Bring in the Books As the boxes of books grew in popularity, students eventually began cycling through all of the available reading materials, bringing some back to square one in the entertainment department. So, Student Transit came up with a plan to encourage donations of books that could expand the mobile libraries. Student Transit sponsored an Eau Claire Express minor league baseball game to collect more reading materials. Attendees could gain admission to the event by bringing in a new or gently used children's book. This was a great success that hugely expanded the available Student Transit library. News of the Words on Wheels program began to spread and eventually caught the attention of children's author Debbie Dadey. She was so enthused about the idea that she generously donated a whole collection of her books to expand the library even more. (Thanks again, Debbie!) Just Keep Reading Over the years, Words on Wheels has continued to grow in popularity amongst bus riders and has garnered lots of positive feedback from students, parents, and bus drivers alike. While reading keeps students entertained on their rides, it is also an excellent opportunity to connect by talking about their favorite reads and even bringing older and younger students together to read with each other. "Riding the school bus is an important part of the student's day, and it's an extension of the classroom," says Student Transit owner Jim Fey. "This program is a great way to encourage them to be safe riders while getting some reading and extra learning in along the way." If you want to donate new or gently used books appropriate for school-aged children to our Words on Wheels program, please drop them off during business hours at the Student Transit office! At Student Transit, we strive to create safe and enjoyable experiences on our daily rides. If positively impacting your community sounds ideal, check out the available opportunities to join our team. |
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