Instilling the love of reading and the ability to read at an early age is a goal of Hillsborough County Public Schools. In an effort to provide fair and equitable access to educational resources such as reading, Hillsborough County Public Schools have launched an Early Learning and Literacy Mobile Classroom known as Paige the Literacy Bus (Paige).
The mission of Paige is to provide early access to resources and promote literacy beyond the classroom. Paige is geared toward young learners up to the age of 5. This initiative is a passion project for Dr. Stacy Hahn.
Dr. Hahn said, “As a school board member, I have been a steadfast advocate for literacy, and the Early Childhood Literacy Bus has been my passion project aimed at sparking a lifelong love of reading in children and ensuring families have equitable access to vital educational resources.”
Dr. Hahn added, “Collaborating with the school district on this initiative underscores our commitment to fostering a community where literacy is highly valued, empowering every child and family through the transformative power of literacy. I am so excited to launch the Early Childhood Literacy Bus in our community.”
Paige will visit private day care providers, public school early learning classrooms and other school sites. In our area, Paige will visit Ippolito Elementary School’s STEM Night on Wednesday, October 16, at 3:30 p.m. and will be at Brandon High School on Saturday, November 16, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
The bus is decorated with bright colors and features fun spaces, including an outside reading area. Inside, you will find a mobile computer lab and comfy reading nooks.
Hillsborough County Public Schools’ goal for the Early Learning and Literacy Mobile Classroom is to provide early access to resources and promote literacy beyond the classroom. It aims to inspire a lifelong passion for reading while extending the benefits of early learning and literacy to every corner of Hillsborough County.
As this is the first year of the program, it is important to note that the school district wants to impact kindergarten reading readiness throughout the district. This project is grant-funded, but the school district will be looking for community partners to help.
While there is not a dedicated website page yet, Paige does have an Instagram account where you can follow her progress and see upcoming events at @hcpspaigetheliteracybus.
