One of the many goals of this project was to bring together multiple community partners. There are many individuals, organizations, and businesses that contributed to the progress and success of the Bus Project. Everyone involved was interested in advancing CTE and STEM opportunities for rural students, families living on low-incomes, students of color, and girls.
A huge amount of gratitude goes out to the businesses and organizations that made this project possible. We hope you will support and learn more about the businesses and organizations that supported us through this project. Without their contributions, this project never would have happened.
Julie Aikens and her organization, The Skoolie Home Foundation were the catalyst for the entire project. Reaching out to Talent Maker City shortly after the fire, Julie was interested in working to solve the immediate housing issue. The Skoolie Home Foundation provided the school buses to get this project started.
Students from Phoenix High School, South Medford High School and Armadillo Technical Institute were one of the main reasons this project was so successful. They were the actual workforce behind the entire project. We can’t say enough about their grit, their determination, and their absolute enthusiasm for helping others - even when many of them were impacted by the fire themselves. We would happily take on any project with all of them again.
Key grant funding came from a few foundations to offset the incredible cost of doing a project of this size. The Reed and Carolee Walker Fund supported TMC with all of our Rise Up and Rebuild Programming - of which the Bus Project was a huge part. Thank you for recognizing TMC as an organization that is committed to creative and sustainable solutions to address problems and generate positive change. We appreciate your trust in us.
The Oregon Chapter of the Associated General Contractors contributed to providing high-school youth with the opportunity to gain hands-on, real-world learning experiences with a focus on building high-demand technical skills that will help grow our rural economy for years to come.
Project Youth Plus (PYP) helped make this project accessible as a real-world job experience for everyone involved. Students were held accountable for showing up to the job site on time and consistently. Student interns were provided a stipend at the end of the project through PYP with a grant provided by our friends at Rogue Workforce Partnership (RWP). RWP also helped with instructor stipends and grants to support our adult interns.
Seaira Safady from Alternative Energy Systems spent two days with us teaching the students circuitry, wiring, and basic electrical concepts.
Bob Wood from Completely Floored talked out flooring options and installation techniques and Completely Floored donated much needed flooring for our bus.
Farrah Southam from the Re-Covery Upholstery Shop donated her time, materials, and her expertise as she made the bench cushion for the front living area of the bus.
Our friend, Jan Wright stitched up a large, custom made quilt for the family who will eventually move into the bus, making sure they will immediately feel at home.
John Weston, from Weston Woodworking provided input as a consultant and constructed the kitchen sink housing.
Our community partners at Timber Products provided all of the necessary plywood for the subflooring, the walls and the ceiling, as well as the walls and bed frames. They did this during a time when we were all experiencing global supply chain disruptions due to the pandemic.
Our friends at local Talent business, Green Mountain provided high quality hardwood scraps that were used to make the countertops.
All-Rite Custom Manufacturing came through with a tremendous discount on hard to find RV Windows.
Quantum Innovations, an integral partner and supporter of student engagement in manufacturing, provided gap funding in the form of a large donation.
Mark Miller - Ashland High School CTE teacher worked with his students to complete the butcher block countertop for the bus.
The Ashland Kiwanis Club stepped up with a donation of two full sized refrigerators to offset our costs on appliances.
Rogue Food Unites and The Grotto Pizzeria for providing food for our students working on the Bus immediately after the fire.
Our instructors approached this project with enthusiasm and professionalism. Everyday was a learning experience for everyone involved. Teaching students tool safety, technical tool use, design, carpentry, electrical, plumbing and teamwork through patience and compassion, our instructors also modeled how to make mistakes and learn from them and how to enjoy hard work and the joy of working on a team.
Justin Eagar, CTE teacher from South Medford High School was a constant resource on every level. His experience working with students helped build the framework for everything we did.
TMC’s lead instructor, Piper Tamler, worked directly with students teaching skills that will last a lifetime. Piper carefully constructed the Builder Notes on the following pages and documented the weekly progress with our Bus team.TMC’s Shop Coordinator, Philip Oje was instrumental in providing all of the 3D plans for the bus. He worked with students to accurately measure every inch of the 40 foot BlueBird to provide accurate diagrams. Robyn Janssen, TMC’s Outreach and Engagement Coordinator, professionally and painstakingly distilled all the information, photos, and plans onto this website.
Our awesome instructors on site at SMHS were Eric Day and Katie Buttermore. They worked on site with the construction intern students after school, providing an expanded learning option for participation in the project.
Other amazing volunteers who donated their time and expertise while role-modeling how to have a little bit of fun on the worksite:
Stuart Trivers
Annette Julien
Lloyd Julien
Vanessa Robertson-Rojas
Sharif Abdulrahman
And finally, thanks to Karla Clark, Director of College and Career For All at the Southern Oregon Educational Service District (SOESD). While the SOESD provided the necessary funding to kick off the project, Karla’s unwavering support and enthusiasm for the Bus Project kept us all focused on the task at hand. Bringing in Emily Coleman as the Bus Project Manager was genius. Emily was able to bring in new energy and a focus on collaboration in the community that was like a breath of fresh air.
We’d also like to thank our neighbors here at TMC and at ATI for putting up with all the noise and activity of our construction site.
There are many more folks who contributed financially, provided encouragement or media coverage, and stoked us with inspiration and their insights. Our appreciation for all runs deep.
Our first bus is near completion and we are grateful for everyone who has had a hand in moving this project forward. The bus will now move on to South Medford High School where Justin and his crew will put on the finishing touches! We can’t wait to see its completion.
Gratefully,
~Alli French
