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A bus company in Detroit sees a future for the city where every kid can get a free ride to their after-school programs, and then back to their door for free.

The Detroit Bus Company is trying to make that dream a reality with the Youth Transit¹ Alliance², which currently³ runs during the week in Southwest Detroit.

The bus takes 20-50 kids from 10 different schools to their after-school programs, and makes sure they get home safely afterwards.

The YTA began last year, and in its pilot year they gave rides to more than 5,000 kids.

"The goal is increased engagement," says Andy Didorosi, president of the Detroit Bus company. "It's to show kids that there's a world outside of their ... neighborhood that they can go and learn and do lots of amazing things that they otherwise wouldn't think possible, and have opportunities available to them now that weren't available, and it's just via a simple bus ride."

Salvador Villagrana is a senior at Detroit Cristo Ray high school. He takes the bus to get back and forth⁴ from robotics.

"What we're doing now could help us out on our transcript⁵, and going to college. And it opened my eyes as in wanting to go into engineering. I wanted to start off with being a pre-occupational therapist, and it kinda changed my mind."

Didorosi has seen the benefits these after-school programs have had on former riders of the YTA. Two kids last year got scholarships to college that they may not have been able to get otherwise.

"To see a teacher tell you, my kids are now successful and they wouldn't have been otherwise without this bus is moving, and it's powerful," Didorosi said.

But some of the kids that take the bus aren't thinking about college – they're elementary schoolers who like riding this big, colorful bus with their friends.

"I would say this bus looks like it came from outer space and came to earth, that it chose us," says eight-year-old Daniel Estrella.

There's a supervisor⁶, or "conductor" who is especially important for the little ones that ride the bus. The conductor helps them with homework, and walks them to their door at the end of the day.

"I had a few moments last week where it was really kind of emotional, to walk them to their door and to make sure they get them home safely, and to be the one responsible for that," says conductor Mary Mares.

Some kids ride the bus every day. Others ride just once a week. Participation⁷ in the program has been growing as more parents hear about the service. Because participation fluctuates⁸, the bus route changes every day. It's kind of a logistical nightmare⁹ for the people running the operation. But for the kids, it's free, safe, and reliable.

"The kids have something that they can rely on every day, day in and day out," says Didorosi. "They see the same adult on the bus, the same driver, they're expecting them. That bus is there on time, it will wait for them if they don't show up. This is a level of customer service that these kids don't have in their daily life."

But if the company doesn't find money, and fast, the buses could stop running.

The Skillman Foundation funded the first year of the YTA, but this year the Detroit Bus Company has had to come up with money to keep the YTA moving. If it doesn't make its fundraising goal, the bus will stop running in April.

1 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。

2 alliance   

n.同盟，同盟国，结盟，联姻

参考例句：

• China will not enter into alliance with any big power.中国不同任何大国结盟。
• The new alliance was very much in evidence.新的联盟上星期很引人注目。

3 currently   

adv.通常地，普遍地，当前

参考例句：

• Currently it is not possible to reconcile this conflicting evidence.当前还未有可能去解释这一矛盾的例证。
• Our contracts are currently under review.我们的合同正在复查。

4 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

5 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

6 supervisor   

n.监督人，管理人，检查员，督学，主管，导师

参考例句：

• Between you and me I think that new supervisor is a twit.我们私下说，我认为新来的主管人是一个傻瓜。
• He said I was too flighty to be a good supervisor.他说我太轻浮不能成为一名好的管理员。

7 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

8 fluctuates   

波动，涨落，起伏( fluctuate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The price of vegetables fluctuates according to the weather. 蔬菜价格随气候波动。
• The price of vegetables fluctuates seasonally. 蔬菜的价格随季节变动。

9 nightmare   

n.恶梦，可怕的事物，无法摆脱的恐惧

参考例句：

• I was glad to awake from such a nightmare.我庆幸终于从噩梦中醒来了。
• I had a nightmare last nightand,lost sleep.昨夜我作了个恶梦，失眠了。