Most of us remember growing up with the freeing feeling of the wind whipping through our hair as we rode our bikes up and down the street or over to a friend’s house.
For many adults, biking was a way of life during childhood. But for today’s local kids, many have never placed their foot on a bike pedal.
“We have found at our school over 50% of our third graders do not know how to ride or own a bike of their own,” says Stacy Huffington, a PE teacher at Three Trails Elementary in Independence. “We want to help our students change that statistic.”
Along with Independence-based Spring Branch Elementary, Three Trails has partnered with All Kids Bike to bring bike riding to PE class starting in kindergarten.
All Kids Bike works with schools across the nation with the goal of teaching every child in America to ride a bike.
“The goal of physical education at Spring Branch Elementary school is to promote overall health, wellness, and movement for all students grades K-5,” says PE teacher Amy Broughton. “By increasing exposure to lifetime activities, like bike riding, we are creating students who are skilled, confident, and interested in an active mind and body.”
Under the program, the two Independence schools will be equipped with teacher training and certification, a structured eight-lesson curriculum, a fleet of Strider 14x bikes, pedal conversion kits, fully adjustable helmets, and a five-year support plan to teach students how to bike.
The elementary schools need to raise $10,000 collectively to help launch the program and are asking for community support and donations. Currently, the schools have raised $2,000.
“Our students will develop not only balance but coordination, steering, riding skills, independence, and critical thinking,” says Huffington. “We want our students to have every chance to have a healthy mind and body.”