WASHINGTON, D.C. — Daimler Financial Services and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which partnered last year to offer the “On Location: Spotlight on Your Community” education program, have completed the launch phase of the program here at the Arts and Technology Academy.

"After months of planning, we are pleased to see the bus head out on the road," said Darrell Ayers, vice president of education for the Kennedy Center. "We were impressed by the enthusiasm, creativity and talent demonstrated by the first school in D.C., and we can't wait to see the final products the other schools will produce."

A school bus manufactured by Daimler Trucks North America subsidiary Thomas Built Buses that is outfitted with a suite of laptops equipped with media creation tools will travel to nine other schools for a two-week visit through the end of May.

Teachers receive instruction on how to use the equipment from a digital media professional, and students learn the art of creating and telling stories from a theater professional. Together, they create a short video about an artist or arts group in their community.

The completed projects are uploaded to www.onlocationproject.org.

The 10 schools that were selected for the 2008-09 school year are:

• Arts and Technology Academy (Washington, D.C.)

• Hometown Elementary School (Hometown, W.Va.)

• Samuel S. Gaines Academy (Fort Pierce, Fla.)

• Beaufort Middle School (Beaufort, S.C.)

• Antonia Pantoja Charter School (Philadelphia)

• Anderson Middle School (Berkley, Mich.)

• Normal Park Museum Magnet School (Chattanooga, Tenn.)

• Foley Middle School (Foley, Ala.)

• Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School (Joplin, Mo.)

• W.A. Meachum Middle School (Forth Worth, Texas)
  

  Each school receives $1,000 to support its project.