I drove by a most interesting site the other day which peaked my curiosity: An ornately decorated school bus parked outside of A Cultural Exchange on Larchmere near Shaker Square. I've actually driven by it a handful of times, each time, wanting for more information.
I did some digging, looked up A Cultural Exchange on the internet, and made contact.
A Cultural Exchange Vice President, Lloyd "Punch" McHamm, says the Busy Bookmobile is alive and well, and 'definitely in service and on the move!'
McHamm went on to say that 'the Busy Bookmobile was the brainchild of our President and Chief Executive Officer, Deborah McHamm. It was her vision and is in support of our mission to provide access to literature for all of Greater Cleveland's Children.'
It appears to be quite a success as they have trips planned throughout the 2008-2009 school year.
The Busy Bookmobile came to fruition during former Mayor Jane Campbell's tenure in office. The concept came to life back in 2003 in conjunction with the Leadership Cleveland class. From there, the Cuyahoga County Commissioners and Mayor Jane Campbell made the leap of faith and launched this program.
The Busy Bookmobile travels around to area schools, various community events, churches, parks, recreation centers, and basically ANYWHERE they have a very captive audience of young ones!
McHamm said, 'We especially like to go where children have the least access to books, i.e. neighborhoods where libraries are not present, children's hospitals, transitional housing, etc.'
The program catapults past the traditional traveling bookmobile programs by giving the children access not only to books but also to other multimedia equipment and activities. Artists and teachers travel with the bus to educate children, allow them to participate in workshops, and even perform for the kids. They want to show the young ones that learning and reading CAN BE FUN!!!!
When kids and their parents board the bus, it is as if they are transformed into another world. Once inside, the adventurers' unlock their imaginations and travel to places they've always wanted to visit!
In today's times, where the common goal is to give our children the best education possible and easy access to learning, the Busy Bookmobile is forging ahead at this mission.
A Cultural Exchange welcomes support from anyone willing and able to lend a helping hand. They are always looking for interested donors willing to make contributions which go toward administrative costs, staffing issues, today's high cost of fuel, and just keeping this program alive!
If you'd like to learn more about this program or how YOU can help, you can call A Cultural Exchange at 216.229.8300 for more details.
Hop on their website or give them a call, and you too, will see why I have chosen the Busy Bookmobile as this week's Hidden Gem!
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