Grant has students learning to ride in style

Kootenai Elementary kindergartners are learning how to ride in style — thanks to a local donation and the Strider Education Foundation's All Kids Bike program.

Teresa Kemink, Kootenai Elementary physical education teacher, applied for a grant from the program. A Sandpoint donor contributed to the program to ensure the LPOSD school could receive this grant, district officials said.

All Kids Bike is a national movement led by the Strider Education Foundation to place kindergarten PE learn-to-ride programs in public schools for free, using donations from individuals, businesses and organizations.

District officials said the foundation is on a mission to make sure every child in America knows how to ride a bike as part of their kindergarten PE class.

"At the Strider Education Foundation, we believe learning to ride a bike builds the confidence that changes everything," foundation officials said in a press release. "Our mission is to deliver superior balance bikes and a proven Learn-To-Ride curriculum to schools and organizations that wish to teach all individuals how to ride."

The program equips schools with everything that teachers need to teach children how to ride bikes. The program includes teacher training and certification, a structured eight-lesson curriculum, a fleet of 24 Strider bikes — complete with pedal conversion — and 24 helmets. A bike is also provided for the teacher.

In the first six lessons, the students learn how to walk, balance and stride with the bicycles. In the final two lessons, the teacher converts bikes to pedal mode and students learn how to pedal and ride the bikes safely.

"It was so fun to see the excitement from the students while riding the bikes and watching them build confidence during the lessons," Erin Billings, Safe Routes to School coordinator for LPOSD, said.

Billings, who helped to teach the eight-lesson class, said district officials were able to teach more than just how to ride the bike but how to do so in a safe way.

"[We were able to teach] how important it is to wear a helmet and the proper fit before getting on the bike," Billings said.

Bike helmets are available, for students who need them, through the Safe Routes to School. For information, contact Billings at erin.billings@lposd.org.