School Pride Episode 1.02 Follow the Teachers!

From above, Lanier Elementary in Baton Rouge, Louisiana looks picturesque. But inside, the school is falling apart and even the Teach For America volunteers can't fix it alone.

In the gym, panels on the ceiling are falling out. An old air conditioner barely works. Desks are falling apart. Mold lines the walls.

Outside, the playground is even more depressing. The basketball hoops are falling apart. Students crowd onto the limited outdoor equipment.

Brent Levin of Teach For America says it's hard to inspire kids when their school is falling apart. Brent's colleague Maggie Howell wants to see Lanier meet its potential. Sounds like it's time for the School Pride team!

Journalist Jacob Soboroff explains that in the case of Lanier, Teach For America has helped improve the learning experience. But now it's time for School Pride to go the extra mile and renovate the school too. Because of a huge downpour, the School Pride team calls contractor Stewart Buck to help them move their introductory assembly inside. The School Pride team takes over the auditorium and tells the crowd that Lanier's getting renovated - in only seven days! And it's all because Mr. Levin and Frank sent them a video.

Designer/Miss U.S.A. Susie Castillo helps Mr. Levin renovate a room. Mr. Levin explains that Teach For America allows recent college graduates to educate deserving children. Outside, Frank and comedian Kym Whitley chat. Frank says he has dreams of becoming a football player. Unfortunately, it's tough to excel at sports at a school with only one flat basketball for 300 kids.

Team leader Tom Stroup delegates jobs to the School Pride team. Susie will renovate the classrooms; Whitley will fix the playground: Jacob will handle technology; and Tom will improve the cafeteria/auditorium area.

Ms. Howell tells Jacob that Teach For America has had their work cut out for them; the students at Lanier were, on average, two levels behind. Jacob vows to get to the bottom of this and find out who's to blame for Lanier's neglect.

Volunteers have come from all over the country to help whip Lanier into shape! Outside, Whitley drives a "bear cat" truck and single-handedly demolishes some of the old basketball hoops. Meanwhile, Susie oversees volunteers as they repaint the rooms. Mr. Levin and Frank choose a bright yellow color while Frank says he'll remember this experience for the rest of his life.

In the "cafetorium," Tom and the principal - Mr. Crowe - retile the chipped floor. Mr. Crowe has helped turn around Lanier academically, but with Tom's help, now he can fix the school physically. "They update prisons more than they do schools," Mr. Crowe says.

Susie talks to Ms. Dickinson, a Teach For America teacher who claims that when she got to Lanier the year before, some kids didn't even know the alphabet. Now those same kids are reading at a second-grade level!

Whitley invites football star Randall Gay to surprise Frank on the playground. Frank is overwhelmed with emotion, saying that Randall's involvement shows that even celebrities care.

Jacob meets with State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek to find out why Louisiana hasn't invested a single dollar in school facilities. Paul claims that Louisiana is poor and can only afford to spend that money on teachers' salaries. Jacob doesn't understand why Paul is accepting the status quo.

Whitley says that Lanier students get breakfast and lunch during school days, but in this struggling community there is no guarantee that the kids are eating well on the weekends too. With the help of Walmart, Whitley tells the kids to stock up on healthful breakfast foods - for free!

Meeting with the Teach For America gang has inspired Jacob to transform a dingy backroom into a fantastic teachers' lounge! Outside, Whitley gets Home Depot's help to bring in some beautiful benches.

To reward the children for their hard work, Tom sends the students on a riverboat cruise on the Mississippi River! But back at Lanier, the remodeling isn't close to finished and they've only got a day left! Will the School Pride team make it in time?

It's time for the unveiling! The new "cafetorium" has a new coat of paint, air conditioning, and Lanier's lion mascot featured on the floor! The students and teachers love it. Ms. Dickinson's room has gone from dingy and dark to bright and brand new!

Ms. Howell's moved to tears when she sees that her classroom has been equipped with brand-new Microsoft computers!

Mr. Levin gets teary-eyed when he sees his brand-new room. Susie says he deserves it for all he's done for Lanier

The kids aren't the only ones with something to celebrate. The School Pride team unveils the new teachers' lounge. It's even got an espresso machine!

The playground has been transformed into a sprawling, well-manicured oasis with fantastic sports equipment! Frank shoots some hoops while fellow students cheer him on.

Lanier's renovation teaches that if communities come together, anything is possible. Since the School Pride team came into town, attendance at Lanier has shot up by 50%. That means more funding, staff and learning! Hooray for Lanier!