Some people see an old school bus and think its journey is over. Three Oklahoma sisters saw the beginning of something their community desperately needed.
Katricia Thompson, Carlesia Thompson and Teresa Day transformed a retired bus into Seas the Day Mobile Library, a traveling learning space that delivers books, tutoring, technology and hands-on educational activities directly to children throughout the Oklahoma City area.
Instead of waiting for families to overcome transportation, financial and accessibility barriers, the sisters decided to bring the resources to them.
And that decision is changing lives.
A Childhood Memory Became a Community Mission
The inspiration for Seas the Day began long before the bus was purchased.
Growing up in Texas, Teresa remembered the excitement of a bookmobile regularly visiting her neighborhood. With their mother working and the nearest traditional library requiring multiple forms of transportation, the mobile library gave Teresa and her siblings convenient access to books.
That childhood experience helped turn them into enthusiastic readers—and eventually inspired them to create a similar opportunity for another generation.
Teresa purchased a retired school bus for approximately $1,000, and the family worked to transform it into a functional learning environment equipped with desks, books, computers and science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics resources.
What began as an idea for an after-school program quickly became something much bigger.
The mobile library now visits schools, apartment communities, day care centers and other neighborhood locations, reaching children who may not otherwise have easy access to a library or reliable internet service.
More Than Books on a Bus
Calling Seas the Day a mobile library only tells part of the story.
Children who step aboard can check out books, receive homework assistance, participate in science experiments and engage with technology. The renovated bus includes computers, solar panels, climate control and running water, allowing the sisters to create a comfortable and functional educational space wherever they park.
The organization’s mission is to help close the educational opportunity gap by bringing accessible literacy and STEM programming to students in underserved communities. Seas the Day currently operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
That mission matters because access is not always equal.
A child may love reading but live miles from the nearest library. A student may need help completing an online assignment but lack dependable internet access at home. A parent may value education but have limited transportation or work hours that make traditional programs difficult to reach.
Seas the Day responds to those realities without judgment.
The sisters simply pull up.
Recognition for Work Rooted in Service
The sisters’ commitment has attracted national attention.
In October 2025, Disney Publishing donated 1,000 children’s books to Seas the Day, while Disney Parks surprised Katricia, Teresa, Carlesia and their family with a trip to Walt Disney World. The recognition celebrated their work expanding literacy and STEM access for students from lower-income communities.
The organization was later featured in Disney’s Christmas Day special, further introducing its mission to a national audience.
ut the real impact cannot be measured by publicity alone.
It is found in the child who discovers a new favorite book.
It is found in the student who finally receives help with a difficult assignment.
It is found in the family that no longer has to travel across town to access learning tools.
And it is found in three Black women who recognized a need and refused to wait for someone else to solve it.
This Is What Community Care Looks Like
The story of Seas the Day Mobile Library is a powerful reminder that purpose does not always arrive as a perfect plan.
Sometimes, it looks like remembering what helped you survive and deciding to provide it for someone else.
Sometimes, it looks like purchasing an old bus and imagining what it could become.
Sometimes, it looks like sisters combining their skills, resources and love for children to build something their community can depend on.
Katricia, Carlesia and Teresa did more than renovate a vehicle. They created movement—literally and figuratively.
They turned transportation into transformation.
They turned books into bridges.
And they proved that when institutions are too far away, community-centered leaders will find a way to bring opportunity closer.
For Purposely Awakened, that is the kind of story worth celebrating: Black women building solutions, serving with intention and making sure the next generation has the tools to dream beyond its circumstances.
To learn more, support the organization or view its upcoming schedule, visit Seas the Day Mobile Library’s official website.
