Engineering, construction, and digital art students at Henley High School are transforming a former school bus into a wildland fire mobile command center for the Oregon Department of Forestry.
The two-year project began this winter, with 15 students in Kristi Lebkowsky’s principles of engineering class measuring the bus and developing initial design concepts to convert it into a functional mobile workspace.
Five student teams created and presented their designs to Sarah Cantrell, Gandy Batten, and Brad Smith, wildland fire supervisors from ODF’s Klamath Unit. Of the five proposals, two were selected for final consideration. In April, the design by Dylan Orr, Theron Tyler, and Ethan Bissell was chosen as the winning concept.
Batten and Cantrell expressed enthusiasm for the project, noting the critical need for a mobile command center. This will be the first time ODF has repurposed a school bus for such use.
“These students are incredibly intelligent,” Cantrell said. “They think outside the box and bring fresh perspectives.”
Lebkowsky emphasized the importance of aligning the final design with the needs of ODF’s wildland fire command teams.
“Providing real-world opportunities is key to student engagement,” she said. “Our students recognize the value of supporting ODF and helping to keep our communities safe during fire season. They’ve poured a tremendous amount of effort into their designs.”
Next fall, students in Henley’s construction and engineering classes will begin renovating the bus. Their work will include building custom storage, seating, and electrical installations. Students in Jon Rudnicki’s digital art class have already began working with ODF to create art for the outside of the bus.
The engineering students involved this year, all juniors, will be seniors next year and will see the project through to completion.
“When our students were presented with this opportunity, they were excited to give back to their community,” Lebkowsky said. “We’re looking forward to starting construction in the fall, now that all the plans have been finalized.”
Lebkowsky is coordinating the project with fellow Henley teacher Brad Smith, who also works with the Oregon Department of Forestry. ODF is supplying all the specialized equipment required for the conversion.
The bus was purchased by the Southern Oregon Education Service District (SOESD)/STEM Hub through the Team Oregon Build Project. The Henley team is actively pursuing grants to help cover additional costs. The total estimated budget for the project is approximately $20,000.
