In an industrial section of Fort Myers, Florida, an electric-blue schoolbus stands in a parking lot. Inside, Erick and Krystle Lopez are putting the finishing touches on – painting a wall, adjusting a mic – before sending it off to the Boys and Girls Club of Delaware. The organization, which provides after-school programs for young people, found the Lopezes through a Facebook group. Krystle remembers the request:
“We need someone really creative, and I don’t even know if this is possible, and this is kind of what we’re thinking…Before we knew it, they said, this job is yours, and we were so excited. This was a chance to be extra creative,” said Krystle Lopez.
The bus will be a fully-equipped mobile studio where kids can learn music production, podcasting, Youtubing, and gaming. There’s a wheelchair lift on-board to make it accessible to more kids.
The funding for the bus comes from a Substance Abuse Block Grant–federal money that comes through the state of Delaware–meant to fund drug abuse prevention.
Stuart Sherman is the vice president of Operations for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Delaware. He helped get the grant, and otherwise dream the bus into existence.
“With prevention programs, it's hard to get kids excited about that, you know, it's hard to go down to the high school and say, ‘Hey, come to the club for opioid prevention class..'" said Sherman."Now we'll be able to say, hey, you know, here's some lessons that are going to help you in your life. But while you're at it, why don't you write some songs with us or do a podcast or make a movie?”
The bus is a job for Erick and Krystle Lopez and their company Studio: Express, but it’s also become something of a passion project.
“This is about the kids, this is an opportunity for kids to have access to equipment and instruction and opportunities that maybe they wouldn’t without the Boys and Girls Club.," said Krystle Lopez. "And the program they are doing and have been doing, they’re just really changing the trajectory of kids’ lives in a huge positive way, and I feel like this bus will hopefully expand that territory.”
Sherman is thrilled to take delivery of the bus.
“I have no doubt that it's going to be a big hit with the kids that we serve," he said." And then I have no doubt that other parts of the state are going to ask about when can they get their bus too.”
The Boys and Girls Club hired a professional driver for the long trip from Southwest Florida to Delaware. The nearly 1,200 mile tip took twp full days. The bus arrived at the club in Wilmington Sunday, August 6.
