Upper Explorerland’s Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program has been offering in-class bicycle safety education to 2nd graders throughout the region this school year. The bicycle safety lessons take about 30 minutes per classroom and cover topics such as the best locations to bike, what clothing should be worn, rules of the road and hand signals.
Recently St. Benedict School in Decorah partnered with Upper Explorerland to offer a modified “Bike Rodeo” during their physical education classes. Students reviewed bicycle safety information and then walked through a “roadway” course that was created in the gym with Upper Explorerland’s Bike Safety Kit.
SRTS Coordinator April Bril comments, “We are working to provide important bike safety information to all students in our region in a way that is sustainable. I’m so thankful for the support from all the schools we have partnered with so far. It’s been a lot of fun encouraging kids to bike and teaching them how to do it safely. I especially enjoyed helping St. Benedict offer a more extensive bike safety experience through their P.E. class. Mrs. Tangen did an amazing job tailoring our Bike Safety Kit to fit the needs of each grade. She kept the course simple for the younger grades and had the idea of adding elements like a circuit workout for the older grades. She also had the 3rd graders help teach the preschoolers bike safety and guide them through the course. St. Benedict is a great example of how bike safety can be incorporated into a school’s curriculum!”
When asked about her experience providing bike safety within her P.E. classroom, P.E. Teacher Jessica Tangen said, “The Bike Safety Kit provided by SRTS was a great experience for our students! We covered important safety information and rules that students should follow while biking. Students had a blast practicing hand signals and physically walking through the course! I would recommend this kit to anyone working with students to educate them on the rules of the road and to help make biking an overall enjoyable experience. Special thanks to April Bril for her guidance with the kit and encouragement to give it a try.”
