Health & Safety
When children are able to walk or bicycle safely to their schools, that speaks volumes about the community in which they live. Not only are they able to get some exercise, but they also are stimulating their brains, learning about the environment in which they live, connecting with their friends and even their neighbors in new ways, and learning habits that will carry through the rest of their lives.
Bicycle Safety in the Schools
Through a collaborative program with the Virginia Departments of Education, Health, and Motor Vehicles, and BikeWalk Virginia, a bicycle safety curriculum is available for schools. BikeSmart Virginia is a program to teach children safe bicycling behavior. As part of a school's health and PE curriculum, students learn helmet safety, crash avoidance, bike handling skills and rules of the road. The program includes on-the-bike instruction.
To ensure that students are taught current safety information and riding techniques, all teachers instructing bicycle safety as part of their curriculum are encouraged to become certified through the Bike Smart Basics course.
Bike Smart Basics
BikeWalk Virginia has teamed with the VDH Division of Injury & Violence Prevention, the Virginia Department of Education, and the Department of Motor Vehicles to offer Bike Smart Basics, a 12-hour course developed for teachers and other group facilitators who want to begin building a platform for a program at their local school, recreation center, church or other organization. Participants will learn the fundamentals or bicycling in different environments. The course includes both classroom and outside on-the-bike instruction led by certified instructors.
The 12-hour Bike Smart Basics course is offered to organizations of ten or more and is eligible for continuing education credits through the Virginia Department of Education. Individuals must bring a bicycle in good working order and a bike helmet. All instructors are Bike Smart or LAB certified.
Subjects:
*
Bike Basics - types and applications
* Handling and Shifting Basics
* Nuts and Bolts Maintenance
* Helmet and Gear
* Rules of the Road
* Group Riding Techniques
* Teaching Children
* Crash Avoidance
* On the bike skills
Tentative Schedule for 2008 Trainings:
* March 28-29 (Alexandria) COMPLETED!
* April 3-4 (Roanoke) COMPLETED!
* April 25-26 (Chesterfield) COMPLETED!
* June 16-17 (Martinsville) COMPLETED!
* June 18-19 (Virginia Beach) COMPLETED!
* July 20-21 (JMU) COMPLETED!
* August 19-20 (Virginia Beach)
* August 20-21 (Longwood)
* August 26-27 (Arlington)
If you are interested in participating in a Bike Smart Basics course or learning more about the BikeSmart Virginia student curriculum, please contact BikeWalk Virginia.
