Grant Overstake

Pole Vault Community, something exciting is happening.

We are officially moving Maggie Vaults Over the Moon toward adaptation and looking for the right film and television connections to help take Maggie to the next level.

For years, this story has resonated with readers who understand the beauty, danger, and drama of pole vault. Now we believe the time is right to bring Maggie Steele’s journey of grief, courage, and rise to the screen as a premium limited series.

Grain Valley Publishing Company, LLC controls all adaptation rights, and we are actively seeking introductions to the right producer, manager, development executive, or entertainment insider who knows how to champion material like this.

If someone comes to mind, or if that is you, please send me a private message.

We believe Maggie’s moment is here, and we would be grateful for your help in getting her story into the right hands.

Grant Overstake
Grain Valley Publishing Company, LLC

The full half-hour episode of “One on One with Victor Hogstrom” on PBS Kansas is now available online.

In this extended conversation, we discuss the historical foundation of The Real Education of TJ Crowley, the research behind the 1968 Wichita setting, and the development of the Audie Award–winning audio drama. We also reflect on the longer journey — from early reporting days at the Wichita Eagle to returning home to build The Real Education Project.

The interview includes personal reflections as well, including the role Claire and I have played in shaping this work over the years. In many ways, it captures decades of writing, research, and partnership in a single conversation.

If you’ve followed the project and wanted a fuller look at how it all connects, the complete episode is now posted on the blog:

Thank you to Victor Hogstrom and the PBS Kansas team for a thoughtful and rewarding interview.

Grant Overstake | Grant Overstake Featured on PBS Kansas’ One on One with Victor Hogstrom Grant Overstake appears on PBS Kansas’ “One on One with Victor Hogstrom” to discuss Wichita history, TJ Crowley, and The Real Education Project.

Kansas social studies teachers are doing courageous work.

This past weekend at the Kansas Council for the Social Studies State Convention in Topeka, I had the opportunity to introduce The Real Education of TJ Crowley as a classroom resource for civil discourse and redlining history.

What I heard again and again from educators was simple:
“My students will relate to this boy.”

Teachers aren’t looking for noise. They’re looking for structure. They’re looking for ways to slow conversations down, ground discussions in evidence, and help students navigate tension with steadiness.

By pairing the 2025 Audie Award–winning audio drama with the classroom Scriptbook, TJ Crowley offers a practical framework:

Students listen.
Students read.
Students analyze primary sources.
Students discuss with evidence.

If you care about helping students engage history thoughtfully and talk through difficult issues with steadiness, I hope you’ll read the full recap and follow the links to our social studies resources.

And if there’s a middle or high school social studies teacher in your life doing that work every day, I’d be grateful if you shared it with them. Learn more.

Grant Overstake | TJ Crowley Introduced to Kansas Social Studies Teachers at 2026 State Convention Kansas educators discover how The Real Education of TJ Crowley supports civil discourse, redlining history, and classroom-ready social studies instruction.