Pell Elementary’s spring session of bike lessons for 3rd graders has come to a close, and what a wonderful success it was!
The classes range in size from 20-23 students, and are a mix of those who already ride and those who are learning to ride, while addressing special needs so all can participate. Of the 133 participating students, 26 learned to ride for the first time!
Here’s how In-School Bike Safety Education works:
First we meet in the classroom, where the children discuss and answer questions about safety, how to take care of their bikes, how to behave on bikes, what different road signals are, and other gauges of their experience and perceptions.
Then we have three on-bike sessions in the schoolplayground or another outdoor area nearby. Here is where many kids first learn how to ride – and that is a wonderful accomplishment! Everyone learns how to choose and adjust a bike so it fits, how to properly adjust and wear a helmet, and how to check their friends’ helmets, too. They learn to check that their tires are properly inflated, and how to pump them up when they’re not. On their bikes they learn starting and stopping, hand signals, scanning to be aware what is around them, and how to avoid hazards. All this so they are ready to have fun riding bikes safely!
The students are all fitted with their own helmets at the first on-bike session, and they keep that helmet at the end. They earn a bike safety certificate and award pin. If they don’t have their own bike at home, they can get a free restored bike at Bike Newport – read more on that at the end.
“Kids look forward to this all year long,” says Clare Woodhead, our Director of Education. “They’re hugely successful with everything they achieve. They especially enjoy the on-bike sessions. They’re really sad when it’s over. When we tell them it’s the last session they all say, ‘Nooooo.’”
“The teachers really love this program.“ says Gail Ruscetta, our Community Educator. “They tell us that they get to see another side of their students. I think it’s special to watch kids who learn differently in the classroom learn these practical skills and succeed.”
“It’s one of our favorite programs,” adds Clare. “We love seeing the big smiles on their faces. Especially the new riders.”
In-school bicycle safety education is accomplished in partnership with Newport Public Schools and is generously funded by Powered by Prince, a program of the FH Prince Memorial Fund and Newport Hospital; RIDOT Highway Safety Program; the Rhode Island Foundation’s Newport County Fund; the Bazarsky Family Foundation; and by everyone who supports Bike Newport through donations and use of our Repair and Rental services – the revenue of which directly funds our programs. We are very grateful to all of our partners for making In-School Bicycle Education possible – thanks to all!
You can donate kids’ bikes to Bike Newport:
Did you know that Bike Newport collects, restores, and distributes bicycles in the community? We do! So much so that we were awarded the Bicycle Advocacy Organization of the Year award for the whole country during COVID. You can read about that HERE.
Lovingly restored bikes are ALWAYS free to children at Bike Newport year-round. And each December we give away more than 100 in a day at the Annual Bike Giveaway! So, if you have a kids’ bike in good condition at home, let us know and we may be able to accept it and get it ready to be matched with a new and happy rider. Please email a photo to Clare Woodhead, clare@bikenewportri.org. Many thanks for being part of getting kids on bikes!
Bike Newport