25 August 2009

Bike Community

The school year is about to start/has started and I think we all look to do something worthwhile this time of year - take a class, clean the house, maybe volunteer? Here are two impressive bicycle programs in the Boston area.

Walking back to my office after lunch last spring I was delighted to see this chic cyclist bicycling in the park with her class:

student bike program elementary school
I think she is taking part in the CYCLE Kids program (though I could be wrong, I didn't ask).

This looks like a great program, in addition to learning about safe cycling, healthy living, and environmental issues it seems the kids learn about physical science in a hands-on way:
"Children enrolled in the CYCLE Kids program learn the answers to such mysteries as why bicycles stay up, how gears and chains multiply their energy when they pedal, and how to check air pressure in tires."
Information about volunteering with CYCLE Kids here.

Here are the bikes parked while the kids did a more theoretical portion of the curriculum, they look like the kind of bike a kid would be very excited to ride:

locked bicycles school program Cambridge, MA
These radiant young ladies are out for a ride after completing the Bikes Not Bombs Earn-A-Bike program, one of the many awesome programs offered at Bikes Not Bombs.

Bikes Not Bombs Earn a Bike program participants out on a ride
Photo from dotbike

If you're interested in volunteering in this program, there will be a training starting August 31, 2009. There are many other volunteer opportunities there, something for any level of commitment.

Happy back-to-school everyone!

1 comment:

2whls3spds said...

I think it is grand we are seeing youngsters on bikes, hopefully they will learn and continue to ride. What is sad is that as recently as 30 years ago we were teaching this in the grade schools and reinforcing it as they moved through the school systems.

Many times people complain about the abilities of drivers in the US and the lack of education. Here is a golden opportunity, start teaching children in grade school proper cycling skills, pedestrian skills and introduce them to traffic laws. Continue to reinforce those skills until they hit high school then require additional hands on training and testing.

I know pie in the sky thinking. But something has to be done to stop the carnage on US roadways.

Aaron