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Bicycle Education Program Update--June 2008
Bike Month by the Numbers
17 Bike New York Teach Your Child to Ride a Bike classes held during May
497 kids attended these Bike Month classes
994 pedals removed and reinstalled during TYC classes
13 volunteers helped remove and reinstall all those pedals
92 adults attended a Bike Commuting 101 lunchtime seminar at work
31 adults became Savvy Cyclists through Bike New York
Bike Month was a huge success for the Bicycle Education Program. Thank you for participating, and a special thanks to our hard-working volunteers (including Lars Klove, photographer and teacher of new rider pictured at right)!
Teach Your Child to Ride Classes This Summer
If you missed May's Teach Your Child to Ride classes, have no fear! Classes will continue throughout the five boroughs this summer, and we're not wasting any time getting started. The first Teach Your Child to Ride class of the season is scheduled for the very first day of summer, Saturday, June 21, in association with Recycle-A-Bicycle as part of the DUMBO Summer Celebration for Kids. Visit our website to register and for additional class sessions in the weeks ahead.
Bike Driver's Ed Comes to Brooklyn
Once you and your kids know how to ride, it's time for your family to learn how to ride safely. Through a partnership with the Brooklyn Public Library, Bike New York will offer four Bike Driver's Ed classes this summer at various library branches. Free and open to all ages, the session uses a short film, a fun quiz, and other interactive activities to teach kids and their parents the basics of bike safety: how to choose and wear a helmet, what sort of bicycle to ride, bike laws applicable to children, and how to avoid crashes most common to young riders. No biking is involved. Class Dates and Locations >
Learn While Riding at Bike New York Events
Did you know that Bike New York's summertime rides all offer educational components? For example, the 5-mile Family Class on Wheels at the Long Island Harbors Ride serves as a rolling Bike Driver's Ed class. Certified cycling instructors are available to guide groups and teach skills on routes of longer distances at that ride as well as the Harlem Valley Rail Ride and Twin Lights Ride. At each event, there are also 2-minute Bike Safety Check sessions at the start and hour-long maintenance classes at the finish. What better way to improve your biking than by doing it with friends?! Details and Registration >
Co ming Soon: League Cycling Instructor Seminar in NYC
Did you ace Savvy Cyclist? Do you enjoy sharing your cycling know-how with new riders, young and old? Are you a teacher looking to start a cycling program in your school? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions (and even if you didn't), consider becoming a League of American Bicyclists-certified Cycling Instructor through Bike New York.
This year's training seminar will be held the weekend of October 10-12 in New York City. If you are interested in attending, e-mail Rich Conroy for more details. Savvy Cyclist is a prerequisite, so sign up for the next class if you haven't already. For more information on becoming a League Cycling Instructor straight from the source, check out the LAB.
If You Know Something, Say Something: Help Create Youth Cycling Database
We at Bike New York know that kids and bikes go together like peanut butter and jelly. Sometimes people need convincing, though, that a youth cycling program is possible, that they do exist and they are successful. If you know of a youth cycling program, either in your school, park, summer camp, local YMCA, or anywhere else, please let us know so we can share information. Even if you've simply heard of a school that maybe had a program last year or the year before, clue us in! Contact Emilia Crotty with information and you'll receive a token of gratitude from the Bicycle Education Program.
Training Update: One-Day Intensive Training for New York State PE Teachers
Bike New York will offer a special one-day intensive training for New York State physical education teachers at the NYS AHPERD Conference on Wednesday, November 19, in Verona, New York. The training, called "Teaching Bike Driver's Ed," will explore Bike New York's Bike Driver's Ed curriculum, written to offer older elementary and middle school students hands-on training to become smart, skilled cyclists. Bikes will be provided; participants must be registered for the conference.
Did You Receive a Bike Ed Kit?
If you attended a Bike New York training recently and received a Bike Ed Kit of materials and tools, we're curious to know what you've done with it. Have you organized a Learn to Ride event at your school or park? Do you have one in the works? Do you need help coordinating one?
Please keep us posted! Contact Rich Conroy with any updates or questions.
About Us
Bike New York's Bicycle Education Program encourages smart cycling by offering free, hands-on courses to cyclists of various abilities throughout the New York metropolitan region. The Bicycle Education Program also trains and certifies Cycling Instructors and Cycling Educators to offer League of American Bicyclists educational programs in their communities and schools.
The Bicycle Education Program is always looking for volunteers, whether long-term or one-time. Contact Emilia Crotty for details, and visit www.BikeNewYork.org/education to learn more about the program.
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