Gifted students at Horace Mann Dual Language Magnet pose with author Grant Overstake, teacher Amanda Harcus, and the 2025 Audie Award for Best Young Adult Audiobook, earned by the audio adaptation of *The Real Education of TJ Crowley*. From left: Paula Vega-Cabrales, Ella Jimi-Ajayi, Diego Rodriguez-Contreras, Blair Baeza, Ziva Zdrojewski, Grant Overstake, Liam Meyer, Juliette Moran, and Amanda Harcus.

Something remarkable happened last week at Horace Mann Dual Language Magnet in Wichita. In a gifted middle school classroom, students didn’t just study history, they stepped into it.

Through The Real Education of TJ Crowley and its award-winning audio drama, they asked hard questions about the present, and discovered what it means to become citizens who care, listen, and lead.

Blair Baeza proudly holds the Audie Award for Best Young Adult Audiobook, celebrating the acclaimed audio adaptation of The Real Education of TJ Crowley: Coming of Age on the Redline.

What the Students Did

During the Horace Mann Experience, students:
• Read The Real Education of TJ Crowley and analyzed key scenes
• Listened to the 2025 Audie Award–winning full-cast audio drama
• Researched redlining, segregation, and Wichita’s civil rights history
• Responded through writing and classroom discussion
• Participated in a live listening session with author Grant Overstake

How It Began: A Discovery at Watermark Books
The journey started last summer, when gifted facilitator Amanda Harcus picked up The Real Education of TJ Crowley at Watermark Books & Cafe. Set in 1968 Wichita, the young adult historical novel caught her attention and held it.

“I couldn’t stop talking about it,” she later wrote. “I knew I wanted my students to read TJ Crowley, but I never expected what we would experience together.”

What followed wasn’t just a reading unit. It became a model for teaching hard history with depth, empathy, and courage. The novel had already earned recognition as Book of the Year from the Kansas Authors Club. In March, the audio adaptation won the national 2025 Audie Award for Best Young Adult Audiobook. Confident her students were ready, Harcus brought the story into her gifted English Language Arts classroom and watched it come to life.

*At the school that bears his name, students carried forward Horace Mann’s legacy by engaging in courageous, student-led conversations about race, justice, and democracy.*

Students Confront History and Themselves

In their reflections, students connected TJ Crowley’s story to their own experiences with remarkable sincerity. They engaged not only with the facts of redlining, segregation, and Wichita’s Civil Rights legacy—but with the human impact behind them. The story’s characters, questions, and conflicts prompted deep personal insight and thoughtful discussion.

“TJ Crowley reminded me of people I know. The way he started seeing things differently made me ask how I act around people who are different from me.”
“This audio drama made me feel uncomfortable in a way that was good. It made me want to learn more.”
“The spirituals were my favorite part. They made it feel like you were hearing the soul of the people who had to fight just to live.”

About Horace Mann, the Namesake Who Inspired the Moment

At the school that bears his name, students brought Horace Mann’s vision to life. A champion of public education and civic equality, Mann believed schools should build both intellect and character. As students at Horace Mann Dual Language Magnet wrestled with injustice through The Real Education of TJ Crowley, they weren’t just learning history—they were living it, becoming the kind of informed, compassionate citizens Mann hoped education would inspire.

A Gifted Educator Leads with Courage

Author Grant Overstake joins gifted students at Horace Mann Dual Language Magnet for a reflective listening session that deepened their exploration of *The Real Education of TJ Crowley.* This powerful classroom moment helped spark what is now known as the Horace Mann Experience—a student-led model for connecting history, identity, and civic responsibility.

Throughout the unit, Amanda Harcus connected the novel to real-world history. Her students studied Senator Cory Booker’s speech on housing discrimination, wrote him letters, and assembled a Wichita-themed care package. They also learned about Chester I. Lewis, a key figure in Wichita’s Civil Rights movement, drawing direct connections between past and present.

“Fellow educators, trust your students with challenging material. They want to learn. Don’t worry if you don’t have a fully formed lesson plan. Start with a good, thought-provoking book. Let them ask questions. The rest will fall into place. Education is activism. — Amanda Harcus

*The Real Education of TJ Crowley: Coming of Age on the Redline* earned the 2025 Audie Award for Best Young Adult Audiobook. Co-created by author Grant Overstake and acclaimed director May Wuthrich, and performed by a full cast, the audio drama has become a nationally recognized classroom resource—bringing 1968 Wichita to life and helping students connect past injustice with present-day questions of race, identity, and empathy.

A Message from the Author: “This One Belongs to You”

After the visit, author Grant Overstake wrote to the class and their teacher:

“What I witnessed is something I’ll carry with me forever. Your courage, curiosity, and honesty reminded me why this work matters.”
“Mrs. Harcus, the space you’ve created, where students are trusted with complexity and guided with care, is rare and powerful.”
“To the students: You made history. The Horace Mann Experience wasn’t just a visit, it was real education. We hope to share it with other schools, but this moment belongs to you.”

About The Real Education Project: The Real Education Project empowers educators to engage students in truth-centered storytelling that bridges past and present. Through award-winning resources like The Real Education of TJ Crowley, the project supports teachers in leading courageous conversations about race, justice, and empathy—transforming classrooms into spaces where young people are trusted to think critically, listen deeply, and lead with compassion.

Expanding the Model: Tools for Classrooms

The Real Education Project is working to bring The Horace Mann Experience to more schools across Kansas and beyond. With the support of educators, administrators, and community partners, the project provides:

Access to the Audie Award–winning full-cast audio drama

Curriculum tools aligned to ELA, social studies, and SEL standards

Facilitation support for courageous conversations about history, justice, and identity

Student-centered activities that foster inquiry, voice, and civic engagement

Coming Soon: The Script Book Edition

Adapted by author Grant Overstake and acclaimed audiobook director May Wuthrich, this definitive classroom companion includes the full script of the audio drama, production notes, and ready-to-use teaching resources. Designed to reflect the emotional arc and dialogue of the Audie Award–winning performance, the Scriptbook Edition is ideal for ELA classrooms, drama programs, book clubs, and audio-based learning environments.

Content & Parental Advisory

This story and audio drama contain historically accurate depictions of violence and language from 1968 America. Recommended for readers age 13+, with guided discussion in educational settings.

A Final Word: Trust Students with the Truth

The Horace Mann Experience proved what’s possible when young people are trusted with hard history and transformative storytelling. Through courageous questions and deep listening, students didn’t just study the past, they stepped into it. And in doing so, they emerged as bridge builders of their own.

Bring the Horace Mann Experience to Your School

To learn how your students can experience this award-winning resource, contact Grant Overstake and The Real Education Project today.

The Horace Mann Experience: Teaching Hard History with Courage, Care, and Connection