Bike to School Day - May 10, 2017!
How Can My School Participate?
National Bike to School Day provides an opportunity for schools across the country to join together to celebrate and to build off of the energy of National Bike Month. The event builds on the popularity of Walk to School Day, which is celebrated across the country – and the world – each October. Many communities and schools have been holding spring walk and bicycle to school events for years.
The first-ever National Bike to School Day took place on May 9, 2012, in coordination with the League of American Bicyclists' National Bike Month. Almost 1,000 local events in 49 states and the District of Columbia joined together to encourage children to safely bicycle or walk to school.
Go to walkbiketoschool.org to register now!
How Can My School Participate?
There are many different ways to show students, families and communities that bicycling to school is a fun and feasible way to travel. In general, Bike to School Day events can be structured 3 ways, with many variations to each.
1. Bike from home
Great for: Students and families who live close enough to bicycle to school on a route that’s appropriate.
How it’s done: Encourage students and their families to walk or bicycle to school on that day. They might join other families and form groups in their neighborhoods to travel to school together. This is the essence of Walk and Bike to School Days.
2. Designated Starting Points
Great for: Families who live too far to bicycle, families with limited routes for bicycling, bus riders and children with disabilities.
How it’s done: Identify one or more locations where students and their families will gather to bike to school together or where families can park and make their way to school when they’re ready. Have a parade, park and walk or ride and stride…the sky’s the limit!!
3. Hold an assembly or make bike safety a topic during recess or P.E.
Great for: Schools that have families with limited routes for walking and bicycling, have alot of bus riders, and children with disabilities.
How it’s done: Show a video (see NHTSA video below) or have someone talk about bike safety during an assembly, recess or as part of a class activity. The discussion can cover helmet safety, bike safety check, hand signals, etc. These events can foster a lifelong appreciation for bicycling and develop important safety skills. They’re also the easiest way to include every student.
Resources
WalkBiketoSchool.org - Go to this website to register your school's event, find a planning toolkit and event ideas.
Getting Started Guide
First Time Tips
Bicycle Safety Resources - Teaching students safe biking skills is a key part of starting a bicycling program. The information on this page can be taught at school, or sent home with students to practice skills with their families. Ideally students get chances to hear and practice the information several times with adults who can provide feedback and supervision.
National Highway Traffic Safety's (NHTSA) Bike Smart, Bike Safe Video - this video can be shown at an assembly or during classtime.