The students listen to a lecture and presentation on the skills they will need to walk and ride safely to school and elsewhere.
A practice course is laid out with tape, cones, flags and even a miniature stop sign and "car." Next is the all-important helmet fitting. The students mount the bikes in turn and they're off! They complete the course using all the right signals, stopping, starting, and weaving through the cones.
Many students have enjoyed and benefited from the workshops. For example, for four years, the third graders at Piney Branch have looked forward to the Bike Rodeo in the fall. Safe Routes partnered with the trainers from the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, WABA, who provide presentations and hands on session to teach the students about bike safety. In order to expand this valuable tradition to more students, Safe Routes will introduce a new model. School staff and parents interested in conducting Bike Rodeos with students will be trained by WABA. All of the tools necessary to implement the workshops will be available in a trailer for use by the trainers at each school. This way, the school can reserve the trailer and schedule workshops for the students during or after school. The training will take place in March. Please let your principal or the SRTS Coordinator know if you are interested in participating. The workshops will begin in the fall of 2011.
