2025 K – 12 Scholarship Application
BECOME A PATREON SUPPORTER
K-12
An invitation for students in K – 12 to promote The Mother Road
Early in my teaching career, I incorporated our schools first and only computer connected to the internet by having my students bicycle 2,000 miles in the back of the classroom aboard an exercise bicycle while learning all about Route 66. At the time, I knew very little about America’s most popular highway, but managed to connect that year with Route 66 advocates such as Michael Wallis, Angel Delgadillo, Bobby Troup, Shellee Graham, and Chicago Mayor Daley.
Almost 20 years later, I launched The Route 66 Podcast, featuring talks with people living and working along The Mother Road. Episodes feature talks with individuals living and working along The Mother Road, including Route 66 pioneers, popular business and motel owners, and popular authors related to the road.
The recent nationwide closure of schools has put a new dimension on teaching, and despite the many challenges, I’ve been encouraged to see students become excited by going above and beyond what is expected of them during a time of remote instruction. This includes students taking a concept I may have introduced by video and recreating the activity or attempting a completely different approach. The key to student success during this unprecedented is to actively engage students in an idea that encourages creative, hands on learning.
As an educator and host of the Route 66 Podcast, I would like to invite all students in grades K – 12 to dig deep into their creative energy by submitting an entry in the Route 66 Podcast Scholarship program. Awards ranging from $25 – $100 will be given to students to deepen their knowledge about Route 66 by submitting a project based on promoting and preserving the road often referred to as America’s Main Street. Applicants are encouraged to listen to past episodes of The Route 66 Podcast for ideas and topics that may be of interest to as a starting point. Students do not need to live along Route 66 but simply have an interest in promoting Route 66.