Education Nation Bus Tour Rolls Into West Bloomfield Next Week

The West Bloomfield community will have the chance to give back and help promote discussion about education in America when the NBC Education Nation bus tour rolls into West Bloomfield next week.

First launched in 2010 by NBC News, the Education Nation program has since expanded across the country, hosting conversations about education, how students learn and what the future should hold.

To kick things off tonight, NBC is partnering with WDIV-Local 4 News  to host a special education summit in downtown Detroit, featuring NBC News' correspondents Chelsea Clinton and Rehema Ellis, as well as WDIV's Rhonda Walker and Devin Scillian.

Even closer to home, the Education Nation bus tour — which is collecting new and gently used books for the United Way of Southeastern Michigan — will be stopping at West Bloomfield High School on Tuesday, March 26.

West Bloomfield students, parents and community members can drop off books at the high school between 6:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday. Local 4 News will be airing live from the high school at noon while the West Bloomfield marching band performs. 

"WDIV-Local 4 is proud to partner with NBC News for this groundbreaking series of summits and town hall meetings," said Marla Drutz, vice president and general manager of Local 4 News. "A great education is the key to a fulfilling life."

The 2013 Education Nation tour is hitting up cities across the country along with Detroit, including New Orleans in mid-April and Phoenix, AZ at the beginning of May. 

In Detroit, everything is happening at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, located at 315 East Warren St. 

• Opening Ceremony: 9 a.m. Friday (Featuring remarks from Gov. Rick Snyder) 
• Detroit Education Summit: 9:45 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday (The entire event will be streamed live on EducationNation.com while the 12:30-1 p.m. portion will be broadcast live on Local 4 News)
• Student Town Hall: 2-3:30 p.m. Saturday (The program will be broadcast on Local 4 Sunday from noon-1 p.m.)
• Teacher Town Hall: 7-8:30 p.m. Saturday (The program will be broadcast live on Local 4)

To keep up with the everything happening around Education Nation's visit to West Bloomfield and Detroit, or to get involved in the conversation, visit www.educationnation.com or visit the Education Nation Facebook page.