The Wonderbus: A Magical School Bus

By (L to R) Joya Elmore P ’36 ’38, director of gardens for environmentbased learning and sustainability consultant, Olivia Cencer ’23, Manning Norris ’23, Matthew Dittrick ’24, Bella Rish ’24, Abigail Noritz ’23, Alex Fischer ’24, Pete Kaser ’96 P ’27 ’29, early childhood STEAM specialist

Not pictured: Michael Joyce ’24

During the 2022-23 school year, Joya Elmore P ’36 ’38, director of gardens for environment-based learning and sustainability consultant and Pete Kaser ’96 P ’27 ’29, early childhood STEAM specialist, are leading students through a major design project –reimagining a school bus into the Wonderbus, a mobile classroom. Elmore, Kaser, and students Olivia Cencer ’23, Matthew Dittrick ’24, Alex Fischer ’24, Michael Joyce ’24, Abigail Noritz ’23, Manning Norris ’23, and Bella Rish ’24 answered questions about the Wonderbus.

Joya Elmore and Pete Kaser

Q: What is the Wonderbus?

In 2020, when we were forced to reexamine our pedagogy and educational spaces, we wrote a Student

Engagement Grant proposal to explore the question, “does an authentic learning environment produce more engagement than a traditional school setting?”

Thus, the Wonderbus was born.

Q: What are the goals of the Wonderbus?

After researching ways to create authentic learning environments, we settled on the idea of a mobile classroom. Not being confined to a location allows us to find meaning, knowledge, and connection beyond a normal classroom environment.

Q: What is the curriculum for the Wonderbus design project?

Realizing the design process for a mobile classroom was an authentic learning experience itself, we developed three upper school courses. During trimester one, students collaborated with professors from The Ohio State University’s Department of Design. In our second trimester, students co-designed prototypes with stakeholders from our community. In the third trimester, students are working with interior fabrication experts to begin the buildout. Students are learning to question how they learn, where they learn best, and connect with other community members.

Students

Q: What sparked your interest in the Wonderbus?

When I first heard about the opportunity to renovate a bus, I immediately wanted to jump on board. I grew up addicted to tiny home shows on HGTV that would take the viewer along a journey of living a healthier lifestyle in a smaller environment. Not only was I drawn to the simplistic lifestyle, but also the renovation and design process that went along with it.

– OLIVIA CENCER ’23

Q: What activities have you completed to bring the Wonderbus to life?

Our class was divided into three teams, each visiting a different division. Our team aimed to design and construct imaginative models for three distinct scenarios: Breakout, Discussion, and STEAM. After completing each scenario,

PICTURED

Manning Norris ’23, Matthew Dittrick ’24, and Olivia Cencer ’23 work on their model we shared our findings with the other teams and received valuable feedback. With this knowledge, we reconvened with our stakeholder groups and worked together to incorporate insights into a cohesive design.

– MANNING NORRIS ’23

Q: How will the Wonderbus be used?

However the final design ends up, I think it will be an excellent addition to Wellington teachers’ toolboxes. This novel learning environment is an exciting opportunity for students looking to better satisfy their curiosity on field trips. Each of the carefully planned features of the Wonderbus enables teachers to better engage their students during off-campus activities.

– ALEX FISCHER ’24

Q: How far will you be at the end of the school year? What will still need to be done? By the end of the year, our class will complete the final structural design for the bus. We will also have completed one project inside the bus. We are excited to start on the interior and can’t wait to see how much we can finish before the end of the year.

– ABIGAIL NORITZ ’23

Q: What is the vision for the Wonderbus once it is complete? My vision for the Wonderbus is to be able to take day-long field trips to different places. Setting the bus up in many ways gives different age groups and classes the ability to use it to its full potential. –

BELLA RISH ’24

Q: What is the most fun or interesting activity you have done?

The most fun activity was finally seeing the bus. It felt as if it was a blank slate for a whole new idea of a classroom. –

MATTHEW DITTRICK ’24

Q: What is a big takeaway or lesson you have learned from this project?

The biggest thing that I have learned is not to underestimate designers –designing is hard. I have a newfound respect for designers, and I love the different things we must think about when designing.

– MICHAEL JOYCE ’24