The Super School Bus is a mobile display classroom that is brought to Super School sites for for the purpose of showing off particulars about the school.

By Louise Carpenter

On Monday, October 3, XQ: The Super School Project Bus Tour made a stop in Somerville to celebrate Powderhouse Studios.

The event was well attended. The HONK! Academy Band performed, and Mayor Curtatone and Alderman Ballantyne were there as well. They appeared to be excited about the new school in town.

A lot of enthusiasm about it from residents and kids was evident as well. Some were doing a science experiment with makeshift rockets.

Powderhouse Studios was just awarded $10 million dollars as one of the winners of XQ: The Super School Project and was selected from nearly 700 proposals. This stop is part of the second leg of the XQ Bus Tour that kicked off in Washington, DC last Monday, September 12.

— Photos by Joe Ruvido

The second leg of the tour seeks to continue to engage and excite local communities around rethinking American high schools and serve as an opportunity to share new high school models with communities across the country.

The stop at Somerville was a chance for the community to meet their local Super School winners and learn more about the solutions they have created for rethinking high schools that will prepare students for college, career, and life in the 21st century.

In addition to meeting the winning team, the event featured a customized school bus, with an interactive experience that invites students, parents, teachers and community members to explore effective solutions to improve American high schools, and includes a recording booth for attendees to share their own ideas.

The bus tour stop also hosted a community art project for students and community members; opportunities to explore some of the learning that will take place at Powderhouse Studios; and a chance to explore where high school education has been, and the themes that have emerged from the XQ: Super School Project since launching in September 2015.

The challenge was issued as an open call to America to meet the challenge of preparing our students for the future by dreaming, designing, and creating the next American high school.

For additional information about XQ: The Super School Project contact John Joanino at jjoanino@wearerally.com or 310-735-7538.

About XQ: The Super School Project: XQ: The Super School Project launched in September 2015 as an open call to rethink and design the next American high school. Thousands of School Builders, and tens of thousands of supporters from towns and cities across all 50 states have united to take on this important work. Teams of students, teachers, parents, community leaders and many more came together to conceptualize innovative models for 21st century learning.

Since its launch, XQ has proven to be more than a challenge to create innovative high schools. It is a growing movement to reimagine what is possible for public education in America, and a hub for community voices, cutting edge ideas, and expert resources to create new pathways to success for students. For more information, visitwww.xqsuperschool.org, and follow us at @XQAmerica.

About XQ Institute: XQ Institute is an organization dedicated to rethinking school in America in order to create new learning opportunities for young people and open up the possibilities of the wider world. The Institute’s board of directors is chaired by Laurene Powell Jobs, Chair of the Emerson Collective. The CEO and founder is Russlynn Ali, former Assistant Secretary of Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education, and Managing Director of Education at the Emerson Collective. For more information, visit www.xqinstitute.org.