DS Bus Partners with Beloit to go Above and Beyond
Background
DS Bus Lines has been able to provide a unique token of support to the School District of Beloit for the past three summers, including this one. Beginning in the summer of 2017, DS Bus Lines partnered with the School District of Beloit to begin an initiative that has since proven to help students and the school district beyond measure. The initiative, known as the Career Exploration and Leadership Camp, was put in place as a way to give students the opportunity to explore different career fields through summer field trips to local businesses. Each summer, DS Bus Lines donates $10,000 to the School District of Beloit to fund the program.
Why it Began
The Career Exploration and Leadership Camp was founded on the basis of helping make Beloit-area students aware of the career opportunities in and around their hometown. “This is a great way to invest in our community by enlightening students on local career pathways after high school or college,” said Beloit Superintendent Jeff Travis.
How it Works
Each summer since the program began, students are able to sign up for the Career Exploration and Leadership Camp and pay a $10 fee in order to take part in the program. In 2017 and 2018, the program lasted three weeks and took place three days a week. This summer, the camp took place over two weeks, one of which involved three days of field trips and the other four days. DS Bus Lines provides transportation for the field trips.
The school district sets up field trips with a multitude of local businesses. Businesses that have been involved so far include;
- John Deere
- Roberts Funeral Home
- Cunningham Cable
- SS Drug
- NCK Tech College
- Winkel Manufacturing
- KVSV Radio Station
- Wind Energy Farm
- Glen Elder Lake-Shocking and Tagging Fish
- AgMark
- Johnson/Frasier/Martin Law-Courthouse
- Ullom Truck and Trailer Salvage
- Mitchell County Hospital and Physical Therapy
- First National Bank
- Posh
- Steph Meier Photography
- Solomon Valley Cinema
- Gray Drug
- Trane
- Kansas State Athletic Department
Who it Helps
Students entering 4th through 8th grade are eligible to participate in the Career Exploration and Leadership Camp. In 2017, 15 students participated. That number climbed to 25 students in 2018 and a whopping 38 students this summer. Travis mentioned the level of impact the DS Bus Lines donation has had on these students by allowing them to visit a variety of businesses, saying, “Thanks to the DS Bus Lines donation, we are able to provide students with resources that would otherwise be impossible.”
In fact, Travis also mentioned that the relationship the district has formed with Trane has led to large changes regarding CO2 levels within the buildings in the district. These changes ended up leading to awards and recognition at a national level for the district. “It’s really cool to know that things like this have all stemmed from this program that DS Bus Lines helped start up three years ago,” Travis said.
At the May 15th, 2019 Kansas State Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Travis was asked about the funding for the program and the board was very impressed and grateful for the funding put forth by DS Bus Lines, and more specifically, Don Kincaid. Below, you will see a clip from the meeting where board members and Superintendent Travis discuss the program and the funding.
What is Next
Travis mentioned that they have nearly reached their limit this summer on the number of students that the school district is able to transport on one bus. There are already talks of expanding to two buses for the program in the coming years so that more Beloit students, and even students from surrounding districts, may participate.
