Background

I work for Pearson Digital Learning, headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, we are a small subsidiary of Pearson plc. We develop and distribute digital curriculum solutions that enable students to improve test scores. We have a lot of fun. Our job involves working with educators across America, as well as some leading technology products that do these incredible things to encourage real growth.

When Hurricane Katrina hit the states, Pearson jumped into action developing the Pearson Disaster Fund which we now expect will total $1,000,000. The Fund matches donations from our Pearson colleagues around the world, and will go to help the schools, students and teachers throughout the Gulf area. This includes those cities that have reached out to the evacuees and welcomed them into their schools and communities.

One thing that the fund determined to do was to deploy a mobile computer laboratory to schools in Mississippi and Texas. We developed three of these labs on wheels, which we call an "eBus", and began recruiting volunteers to visit the bus for a week and facilitate and coordinate the student experiences on the buses. The eBuses are outfitted with computers and our digital curriculum, as well as Penguin books for the children to take back with them to their shelters or temporary homes.

I was given the opportunity to volunteer in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. I left on November 6, 2005 and returned on November 10, 2005. This blog is about that trip.