BANGOR – The C-SPAN School Bus will visit area communities this week.

The visit began in Auburn on Monday and will wrap up with a stop in Bangor on Thursday.

The 45-foot motor coach houses a traveling television production studio and media demonstration center.

It is one of two such buses designed to give students, educators and local leaders firsthand knowledge of the C-SPAN Network’s 24-hour public affairs programming.

C-SPAN is a private, nonprofit company created in 1979 by the cable television industry as a public service.

Its mission is to provide public access to the political process. C-SPAN receives no government funding; operations are funded by fees paid by cable and satellite affiliates that carry C-SPAN programming.

While the buses are on the road, C-SPAN televises on-air updates, short programs from historical sites and public affairs events from communities along its route.

This week’s visit is sponsored by Adelphia, a cable television company serving Maine.

The bus schedule for the rest of the week is:

. Today: Old Fort Western, Augusta, noon-3 p.m.; National Night Out, Marcotte Park, Lewiston, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

. Wednesday: Maine Lobster Festival, Rockland, noon-3 p.m.

. Thursday: Bangor State Fair, Bass Park, noon-3 p.m.

All times are approximate.

For information, visit the C-SPAN Web site at C-SPAN.org.