Henrico Schools earns federal grant for environmental bus

Henrico County Public Schools has received a $100,000 federal grant to help it purchase a new electric school bus that will be transformed into a mobile classroom for environmental education.

The “Green Wheels for Bright Minds Ecobus,” is designed to be used for immersive environmental educational experiences for students at 21 Title I elementary schools in Henrico that have high numbers of students from low-income families.

“Environmental and science education has never been more important, and this project will help provide deeper learning experiences to schools and communities that don’t always have those resources,” said Amy Cashwell, HCPS superintendent, in a press release. “While our environmental challenges are profound, the opportunities are great. The HCPS Ecobus will help students tackle problems in their communities and prepare for environmental careers, while fostering an appreciation of the world around them.”

The EPA grant is being combined with a $275,000 grant from technology and social media company Meta and $175,000 in funding from the school system to support the purchase of the bus. Students at the Advanced Career Education Center at Hermitage and the Advanced Career Education Center at Highland Springs will do much of the work to convert the bus interior to an environmental education center.

The bus is expected to arrive on Henrico County roads – wrapped in bold exterior graphics, according to school system officials – in time for the start of the 2025-26 school year.

The bus will use hands-on activities to foster critical thinking about local water resource issues, culminating in tangible student-led stewardship projects. The federal grant also will also provide about $1,000 for each school to hold a celebratory event and kick off a community-based sustainability initiative, such as planting native plants on campus or improving water quality in a neighborhood creek.

The HCPS bus will be charged at a central location and will produce less carbon than traditional school buses that run on diesel fuel.