The BikeWalkKC education staff met yesterday beneath the shade provided by trees on the Nelson-Atkins Museum lawn to celebrate successes and discuss challenges from the spring semester. It may not surprise you to hear that we all rode our bikes (well, I had to drive…tables and chairs are big!). It never gets old to gather with this diverse group of teachers that are so passionate about bringing bicycle safety and active lifestyles to our metro.
Our instructors have worked with school staff, parents and families, and community advocates to bring BLAST, Maintain Your Ride, Bike Club, and more to 2400 students across 10 school districts, deliver 40 bikes to youth who learned DIY bike maintenance and safe and confident bicycling, and teach 150 kids the joy of learning to ride for the very first time. New riders have this look of profound joy-- they're so proud of themselves, and that confidence and independence-- it's like pure sunshine beaming out from their faces. There's nothing like it!
"Wildcats" at Spring Branch Elementary in Independence woke up early to for a before-school Maintain Your Ride program this spring. They earned their own bikes and safety kits to take home!
Our instructors are committed to sharing that joy with as many people as possible, and their experience and passion definitely contributes to the quality of our education programs. We are also proud to partner with Buddy Pegs, All Kids Bike, and Outride to expand bicycle education to more kids and more schools in Johnson County, Wyandotte County, Jackson County, and beyond. Together, we are learning that, just like riding bikes, spreading knowledge about bicycles and other active transportation alternatives is far more enjoyable with friends.
BikeWalkKC Education spring semester highlights:
- RideSmart videos en españ0l (BikeWalkKC's YouTube channel)
- 'A lifelong opportunity for kids' Riding bikes is the perfect exercise for students (Kansas City Star)
- East High School Bike Club helping students find, get to opportunities (Fox4 News)
- Pool noodles get more kids on bikes (BikeWalkKC's blog)
Our schedule will slow down a bit for the summer like it always does, but we will remain a busy crew with summer bike clubs, BLAST, and other programs. Check out our Community Calendar for upcoming events. If your summer school, camp, or group is interested in getting kids on bikes or walking around their neighborhood, reach out to us at info@bikewalkkc.org.