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BIKE TO SCHOOL 2013TABLE OF CONTENTS

Need page 2

Planning Process pages 3-4

Budget & Sponsorship pages 5-6

Training page 7

Programming pages 8-12

Overview of Materials pages 13- 21 Supporting Documents pages 22-27

“This is a fantastic program and I would do it again without a doubt. It not only teaches practical safety skills, but there is an emphasis on healthy lifestyles, a total win-win”

-Grade 7 & 8 Phys. Ed Teacher, Elmwood School

NEED

The idea for Bike to School began in 2012, during a Bike to Work Day celebration. There were many inquiries during the planning of Bike to Work Day about how schools, families or children could be involved.

Though there are some organizations, such as The Winnipeg Repair Education and Cycling Hub (The W.R.E.N.C.H.) and Green Action Centre’s Safe and Active Routes to School who provide some cycling support and education programs, there wasn’t an organization or event in Winnipeg which promoted cycling in schools on a large scale. Bike to School was created as an event which all students could participate in, regardless of whether they had a bike, or knew how to ride a bike. It was envisioned as an event which offered many ways for students to appreciate cycling either as a sport, a commuter option, a recreational activity, or a mechanical hobby.

Another goal of Bike to School was to use the event to foster sustainable cycling culture in a school. Bike to School wasn’t created to be a one day celebration put on entirely by an organization outside of the school, but rather to support schools and “champions” in establishing cycling as a core value in their school.

Ultimately, a school who partook in Bike to School 2013 should be able to put on a Bike to School event on their own in 2014, and will have the tools required to further develop programs in their school which tune students into to bikes.

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PLANNING PROCESS

Bike to School planning began in September by assembling a steering committee.

Members of the Bike to School Steering Committee: Andraea Sartison, Event Coordinator Dave Elmore, Co-Project Manager Green Action Centre Curt Hull, Co-Project Manager Bike to the Future Anders Swanson Shoni Litinsky Green Action Centre Lea Greznda Green Action Centre Chris Matthewson Manitoba Public Insurance Geoff Heath The W.R.E.N.C.H.

Potential partner schools were identified based on cycling contacts that steering committee members had within the schools. A list of six schools was established: Hugh John MacDonald Richard Helbig Elmwood High School John Anderson Maples Collegiate Saul Hentleff, Ryan Smithson Niji Mahkwa Ainslie Loria Wolseley School Susanne Dewey-Povoledo Valley Gardens School Nello Altomare

A group meeting including all school representatives followed shortly. This was a brief brain-storming process to identify needs and barriers in bringing the program forward. Because each school had unique age groups and demographics, it was decided that individual planning meetings should be held between the Event Coordinator and the “Cycling Champion” (teacher or parent partner for each school).

The Event Coordinator met with each school 2-4 times to put together a program that best suited the students, and fit into the school schedule. The Cycling Champion was required to promote the event within the school to administration, students and other teachers. They were also largely responsible for carrying out the program at the school, either by leading workshops, securing materials or space for workshops and coordinating other leaders within the school to help run the program. The Event Coordinator was responsible for scheduling outside organizations/individuals who were asked to put on a demonstration or lead a workshop as part of the Bike to School events. The

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Event Coordinator was also a liaison between the steering committee and the schools, and a resource for schools in their planning.

The steering committee met infrequently and mostly acted as a resource or advice panel for the Event Coordinator. Members of the steering committee helped to put together some of the material provided to schools, or to make connections between the Event Coordinator and the wider cycling community including CanBike Instructors and Bike Polo athletes.

Bike to School ran between May 15-31, with schools choosing one day during this time to host their Bike to School event.

“I found the individual school meetings (most) effective and the follow up phone calls with the coordinator. The large group meetings were great for sharing ideas between schools.” -Ainslie Loria, Niji Mahkwa

“Early planning is very helpful.” -John Anderson, Elmwood School

Recommendations for 2014:1. Any school should be able to run a Bike to School program on their own. Bike

to School should be a resource for these schools which can provide them with logos, promotional materials, successful examples from previous years and ideas about what kind of program to run. The more that Bike to School is a resource, and the responsibility falls to the school to make the program successful, the more likely that the cycling culture will grow.

2. Bike to School may still offer a limited amount of workshops put on by “out-of-school organizations” such as Bike Polo, The W.R.E.N.C.H., Group Rides etc. Decide as a committee what will be offered as far as programming for 2014, and at what capacity. For example, “Bike to School can offer Four- one hour bike polo demonstrations for groups of 15-20 grade 10 students”. Once this is determined, begin to promote the event, and programming can be booked on a first-come first serve basis.

3. Have schools register for Bike to School. Once they register with their school name, number of students participating and dates they want to run the program, Bike to School can send promotional materials, the curriculum connections booklet and advice on how to run a Bike to School program. Should any of the schools want demonstrations or workshops from outside of their school the Event Coordinator can book these for them.

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BUDGET & SPONSORSHIP

The Event Coordinator secured sponsorship from the following organizations: 1. Manitoba Public InsuranceManitoba Public Insurance was an in-kind and cash sponsor. Their in-kind contributions included offering the “Champion Cycling Course”, an 8 hour long workshop for teachers to learn road safety and tips on how to run cycling education at their school. MPI offered a bike rodeo program for younger students at Wolseley School and Niji Mahkwa. They also funded the t-shirts, and gave away lights to every students who participated in Bike to School.

2. Tire Stewardship ManitobaTire Stewardship Manitoba was an in-kind and cash sponsor. They generously provided bike racks to Elmwood High and Maples Collegiate, and purchased 600 helmets to distribute among the schools.

3. North West CompanyThe North West Company was an in-kind sponsor allowing Tire Stewardship to purchase helmets at cost from their stores, as well as providing a healthy snack to all participating schools.

4. The W.R.E.N.C.H.The W.R.E.N.C.H. hosted bike mechanic workshops at every school, encouraging students to try out fixing a bike, and teaching them how to check their bike before riding.

Significant Volunteer Hours were also a part of Bike to School’s success. Three CanBike instructors helped to lead group rides for Maples Collegiate, Hugh John MacDonald and Valley Gardens. As well, each Cycling Champion put in a large amount of hours planning and carrying out the event.

Recommendations for 2014:1. It would not be bad to associate a cost with the program, specifically for hard costs such as booking an outside organization (Bike Polo, Bike Trials) to host a workshop. Schools may also have access to funding for the program from their districts, or have access to grants to purchase materials or incentives for their students to participate.

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EXPENSE ACTUAL Description / CommentsTOTAL EXPENSESAdminCoordinator ContractCoordinator Contract bonus on sponsorshipMapping work by AndersBike to School Week Carry over for 2014T-shirtsT-shirtsEvents at the SchoolsFoodBike Trials DemonstrationTruck Rental for deliveriesBike Polo DemoProgrammingWRENCH Build a Bike ProgramHelmetsBTSW BannersCourier servicesPrinted MaterialsChampion Cycling CourseGraphic Design honorariumBike Racks

REVENUETOTAL REVENUEMPITire Stewardship

TOTAL REVENUE- EXPENSES

$14615.83 $0.00

$5,000.00

$300.00

$2,000.00

$1275.00 Covered by MPI

$0.00 Donated by North West Company$450

$110.98 Bike polo $150.00/Bike trials riders $450.00

$150

Donated in-kind by The WRENCH

$3877.60 Provided by Tire Stewardship$134.40

$13.07$0.00 Covered by City of Winnipeg

Donated in-kind by MPI

$250.00

$1054.78 Provided by Tire StewardshipACTUAL Description / Comments$13107.00

$6275.00$9632.38

$1291.17 Seed money for 2014 event.

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TRAINING

Each school received an open invitation for teachers, staff and/or parents to attend Manitoba Public Insurance’s Cycling Champion Course.

This 8 hour course is 4 hours in the classroom, and 4 hours on the road. The course is led by certified CanBike instructors, with the goal of creating “Cycling Champions”: individuals who can promote and carry on cycling in their workplace.

Feedback from teachers was that the course was very informative and interesting.

“A critical part of the planning. It would be helpful to get all staff on board. This is the best way to be able to deliver bike safety instruction to students” -John Anderson, Elmwood School

“The staff member that went found it to be very beneficial and taught him many rules of the road that he did not know.” -Ainslie Loria, Niji Mahkwa

Recommendations for 2014:1. Offer the course once a week from mid-April to mid-May, and provide dates

to the teachers immediately when planning begins

2. Provide specific advice about running a Bike to School program or rodeo during the Cycling Champion Course. The current course is very basic and can be taught to any employee. If it can be catered specifically to teachers who are running a Bike to School program this would be beneficial.

3. Include time in the Cycling Champion Course for brainstorming and sharing ideas about running a Bike to School program, so that Champions from different schools can network and provide suggestions to one another.

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PROGRAMMING

Bike to School was celebrated between May 15-31. Each school chose one day to host their “big celebration”, which usually consisted of a set of stations/workshops which students could rotate through and learn about cycling. The benefit of choosing one unique big celebration day for each school was so that Bike to School volunteers and outside organizations could be on site at each school to lead workshops and offer assistance. However, some schools did spread their programming throughout the week, at their own discretion. For example, Elmwood School focused on cycling in all of their gym classes May 27-31, but hosted a cycling assembly and celebration on Friday, May 31.

The Bike to School event offered multiple programming options for schools to pick and choose from. Some were run by outside organizations, and some by the schools using Bike to School as support.

During the Bike to School “big celebration day” workshops/stations ran over one day, or one half day at each school. Students rotated through stations in groups of 15-30. The following is a list of stations used at different schools.

1. Bike PoloBike Polo demonstrations and workshops were led by a number of local Bike Polo athletes. Workshops were 30-60 minutes long. The workshop consisted of skill-building drills such as cycling in a small area without putting your foot down, dribbling the ball with a mallet through pylons, passing and bike polo matches. Different schools required different activities based on age group and cycling abilities. Some schools focused on riding and manipulating bicycles in order to play polo, while others concentrated on playing the game and learning the rules.

Please see pages 25-27 for a write up from Fabian, Bike Polo Athlete, with detailed feedback.

“Kids liked bike polo---something new!” -Richard Helbig, Hugh John MacDonald

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2. Group RidesGroup Rides were led at jr. high and high schools. CanBike Instructors were employed to host a 5-10 minute road safety lecture before students went on a group ride. The lecture included information about obeying traffic signs, sharing the road and hand signals. Teachers led the ride, with the CanBike Instructor following along as an observer. CanBike Instructors did not lead the ride because of insurance issues.

The Event Coordinator and Steering Committee coordinated the CanBike Instructors who were present at each school.

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3. MPI Bike RodeoBoth Niji Mahkwa and Wolseley School have students in grades 1-4, who were too young to participate in regular Bike to School programming. However, MPI did visit both schools and hosted a Bike Rodeo program for these younger students which included manipulating through obstacles and basic hand signals.

The MPI Bike Rodeo was booked directly through MPI, not through the Bike to School Event Coordinator.

4. Bike Trials DemonstrationAdrian Alfonso and Liam Mohan offered a Bike Trials Performance at most schools. This included a overview of the sport, how each athlete got involved in Bike Trials, and demonstrations either in the school gym or outside.

The purpose of the event was to showcase how young people can pursue cycling outside of commuting as a recreational activity or sport. It also created enthusiasm and inspired students to build cycling skills and to use recommended safety equipment.

Adrian Alfonso was well known as a volunteer at Niji Mahkwa, so this esteem made the performance a hit for that school population.

“...during the bike trials demo in the gym the students were “quiet with awe”.” -John Anderson, Elmwood School

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5. School-led Bike RodeoFor students grades 5-12, teachers did create their own bike rodeo or obstacle course. This included drills such as riding in a straight line, manipulating through obstacles, obeying “traffic signals” and varying between speeds/braking. These courses could be done individually or as a relay race. Most schools used gym equipment such as pylons to build the course.

MPI and the Bike to School steering committee did provide schools with ideas and instructions to set up and lead a Bike Rodeo in their schools.

6. The WRENCH Mechanical WorkshopThe WRENCH was present at all schools leading basic bike repair workshops. The content of the workshop varied from simple ABC Checks, to patching tires, to community bike repair based on the age of students and number of students per group.

The WRENCH workshops were most effective in small groups with longer workshops. Ideally there should be maximum of10 students per group and workshops should be one hour long.

In the future, it would be wise to offer the workshops only to one grade, or to small groups who sign up for it so that each student can get the most hands on time. For Maples Collegiate, where 300 students cycled through 2 stations in 2 hours, it was very difficult to do any effective teaching. It is also favourable to have a teacher present at this station (and all stations) for crowd control.

For best management in 2014, The WRENCH and Bike to School should decide on one or two specific offerings for a mechanical workshop and stick to limits for time and capacity. For example “The Bike Mechanic Workshop takes students through a basic chain and tire repair. It is a hands on workshop available for grades 9-12. It runs for 1 hour and can accommodate maximum 10 students per workshop.”

7. Route FindingAnders Swanson created maps of each school which listed speed limits and bike lanes in the school neighbourhood. At Valley Gardens, the teachers posted the map and allowed students to plan different routes to their school and identify obstacles along the way. This was a workshop during their Bike to School program.

Some schools simply posted the map, or discussed routes in the classroom prior to the Bike to School event.

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Recommendations for 2014:

1. “I’d be cautious about the number of students being involved. The goal should be about meaningful participation, not about number of participants. Sometimes I got the impression that the success of the day was being measured by the number of students involved. I understand this is easily quantifiable but most kinds of instruction are much more meaningful if presented to smaller groups of interested kids who are given more opportunity to participate” -Richard Helbig, Hugh John MacDonald

2. “A safety course and a little ride around the neighbourhood would be a good start for any school in 2014.” -Richard Helbig, Hugh John MacDonald

3. “Allow schools to choose the week to avoid conflicts with track, canoeing etc” -John Anderson, Elmwood School.

4. “Is it possible to provide students with more incentives? Gift certificates etc.?” -John Anderson, Elmwood School

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8. Classroom ActivitiesBike to School provided a package of suggested classroom activities to each school, prior to the event day. Schools also invented some activities independently including making posters featuring cycling facts, decorating craft helmets and painting t-shirts.

9. Bike BlenderGreen Action Centre visited Wolesley School with the Bike Blender to discuss alternative energy and provide a delicious snack. The school supplied the ingredients and Bike to School coordinated Green Action Centre to be on site.

OVERVIEW OF MATERIALS

Each school was provided with the following:

1. Schedule including contact info (below is the schedule provided to Valley Gardens). Schools provided a daily schedule, and list of activities they were interested in, as well as a number of students participating. The Event Coordinator then created a schedule unique to the school which was distributed to the steering committee, workshop leaders and the school.

School: Valley Gardens 220 AntrimContact: Date

Nello Altomare naltomare@retsd.mb.caWednesday, May 29 (204) 391-6874

12:20 PM12:30-12:40BIKE RODEO

12:45-1:151:20-1:501:55-2:252:30-3:00

3:00 PM

1:00-2:00

SCHEDULE MAY 29thAttendanceStudents in PIT for kick off led by Valley Gardens TeachersBike Mechanics Bike Rodeo/Obstacle Course Bike Polo

led by Robin + volunteer led by Valley Gardens Teachers led by Mark (204) 330-6973Group 1 Group 4 Group 3Group 2 Group 1 Group 4Group 3 Group 2 Group 1Group 4 Group 3 Group 2

wrap upSCHEDULE MAY 31stBike Trial Demo for Grade 6sBike Trial Demo for Grade 6sContact: Adrian 204-890-3035Contact: Adrian 204-890-3035

2. Helmets were donated by Tire Stewardship Manitoba. Each school received 100 free helmets to distribute as needed.

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3. T-Shirts. Each school received 25 shirts for event leaders, provided by MPI.

4. Banner. Each school received a banner to promote the event. This was brought to each school by The WRENCH.

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5. Posters. Each school received a personalized poster to promote the event.

6. Map showing the school and surrounding area.

7. Swag & Snacks Tire Stewardship donated reflector lights, MPI donated spoke and other bike lights, North West Company gave away a healthy snack and beverage, and CAA donated 50 bike locks. Tire Stewardship also purchased bike racks for Elmwood High School and Maples Collegiate to support cycling year round. The North West Company was present at Niji Mahkwa to hand out prizes, and MPI did some distribution through their student ambassadors.

8. Bike Cage and Bike Racks were donated by Tire Stewardship Manitoba and

the City of Winnipeg to Elmwood, Niji Mahkwa and Maples Collegiate. Schools who received racks or cages were chosen based on security need, or because the school lacked adequate bike parking.

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10. Booklet of Pre-event Classroom Activities was provided (as outlined below) to each school featuring resources and suggestions for cycling activities with curriculum connections.

What follows is a list of suggested activities that can be done in any classroom to build awareness and enthusiasm for the Bike to School programming at your school. We encourage you to document your work in the class and during Bike to School and share the results with us, and parents. This will help us better our event and move cycling forward in your community.

Surveys1. Hands-up surveys. In each classroom teachers ask students how they got to

school through a raise of hands. Use the survey format on page 7 to record. Based on the data a classroom could choose a winner for the student who cycled most, or classes could compete against each other. This could also be done as a competition: for example, the class with the most bike trips to school wins a prize!

2. Track your kms. And “bike across Winnipeg, Mb, or Canada” (can be done as an individual or a class)

Fast Facts1. PA trivia or facts. Have a student read a fast fact about biking, or a trivia question

about cycling over the PA everyday.There are a lot of other options, and fun facts, but hopefully this can get you thinking...

• What is the fastest speed a human being has gone on a bicycle on a flat road without assistance? (133Km/hr)

• What nationality was the person who set that record? (Canadian, his name is Sam Wittingham)

• What is the record for a human being travelling downhill on a bicycle? (222km/hr)• What is the current distance record for a bicycle-powered flight? (115kms. Set on 23

April 1988 in flight from the island of Crete to the island Santorini by pilot/cyclist Kanellos Kanellopoulos in a human-powered airplane built by MIT)

• How long did it take the person who holds the world record for cycling across Canada to go from Vancouver to Halifax? hint: it’s a distance of 6055kms. (13 days, 6 hours and 13 minutes!)

• Where was that person from? (Winnipeg and his name is Arvid Loewen.)• How old was he when he did it? (54 years old)• Which of the following uses have there not been bicycles designed for water, sand,

ice, snow, air, moving furniture, underwater, ballet, polo, people with no arms, the moon? (none of the above)

• What is the world record for the world’s longest two-wheeled bicycle? (28.1m, built by the University of Delft in 2002)

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• In the 1960s, what did NASA consider sending with the astronauts to the moon? (bicycles)

• What is the farthest one person has travelled on a bicycle in one day? (890km, set by Marko Baloh of Slovenia in 2008)

• The bicycle is one of the most energy efficient forms of transportation on the planet. How far can 100 calories take a cyclist? (4200 metres) How far can the same amount of energy take the average car? (85 metres)

• Approximately what percentage of kids aged 6-17 ride their bikes year-round in Oulu, Finland? 10% 20% 50% 80% (Answer: About 50%)

• What age group is legally required to wear a helmet in Mb? (everyone under 18)• In what country is Bike a popular given name? (Turkey)• The first two-wheeled transportation like a bike was called a Dandy Horse,

Draisienne or laufmaschine where was it invented? (Germany)• A penny farthing is a bike with one very large wheel, which is larger the front or

back (front)• What is BMX short for? (Bicycle Motorcross)• Name five parts of a bicycle (frame, saddle, seat post, handle bars, pedals, chain,

tires, tubes, spokes, hub, front and rear brakes, cogset, front and back derailleur, chain rings, rim, valve, head tube, shock absorber, fork, top tube, down tube, seat stay)

• What is a tandem bicycle? (a bicycle built for two)• Who wrote the song “I want to ride my bicycle?” (Queen)• What country has developed an elevator for cyclists to take to get up steep

inclines? (Norway, in Trondheim, called the Trampe bicycle lift)• When a cyclist extends their left arm when riding what does this mean? (left turn)• What kind of things should your bike have, when riding at night? (rear and front

lights)• What clothing choices can you make to help cars see you? (reflective or bright

coloured clothing)• What is the game played while riding bikes, where the goal is to hit a ball with a

mallet into the opponents net? (bike polo)• What is a bike called with only one wheel (unicycle)

Mapping Activities1. Map your world. Each student writes down a list of the important places they visit

often (their house, their school, their grandparents, the library etc.). Each students gets a poster size piece of paper. They are instructed to think about directions, maybe share a large City of Winnipeg map and point out where their chosen locations are in respect to each other. Then they draw each individual place they visit (talk about size... houses should be drawn smaller than airports), and connect them through a system of roads, or walkways depending how they travel from place to place.

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2. Photograph your world. Each students brings in printed photos of the places they love to visit in Winnipeg (again familiar places like family etc). Then map them on a large paper.

3. Route planning. Using the maps provided by Bike to School, talk to your students about what could be a good route to cycle and why, including what obstacles they may encounter enroute.

Art Activities1. Why I bike. Students draw what they love about cycling

2. My dream bike. Students design their dream bike, or a bike of the future.

3. Bike to School Banner. Students design a Bike to School Week banner or poster. It could be a banner which every students who bikes gets to sign.

4. Bike-u. Write a haiku about biking

5. Bike decorating

6. Bike bandana, t-shirt or vest making. Talk about visibility and get bright neon fabric paint for kids to design their own Bike to School themed attire.

7. Photovoice. Invite students to use art to share how they feel about their commute to school. http://www.smartcommute.ca/media/uploads/pdf/HamiltonStudentPhotovoice2011.pdf

Other Activities1. Caught you biking. Students who bike can sign a bike banner/bulletin board or

have their name entered into a prize draw.

2. 1. Write a short story or essay about one of these topics:" a) An interesting or amusing experience you had with your bicycle." b) A bicycling crash or a near-crash that you witnessed. Describe what you saw, " tell what you think caused the crash. How could it have been prevented?"" c) A bicycling trip you took or would like to take." d) A gift of a bicycle. Tell who gave the bicycle and who received it, and explain " what the gift meant to each of them. This can be a true story or a make-believe " one." e) How cycling will change the world

3. Complete the following story. Be as descriptive as possible."One sunny day I was riding my bike to my friend's house, thinking about all the fun we were going to have riding our bikes. I started thinking about our favourite thing to do on our bikes, which was..."

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4. Study Bikes• How the bicycle contributed to the paving of roads in North America.• How the bicycle contributed to the liberation of women.• The bicycle's use in Canada, in earlier years and now.• Olympic racing events or international racing events such as the Tour de France• The importance of the bicycle in other countries, such as China, Denmark,

Germany or Holland where it is the most common form of transportation.

7. Bike Measurements! As part of a lesson on measurements, have students estimate the following distances

• one to one-and-a-half metres (the proper distance from the curb for cycling).• five to six metres (the distance before an intersection at which a cyclist should

begin to move to the right if turning right).• 15 to 20 metres (a good distance before an intersection to look over your left

shoulder in preparation for making a left turn).

Consider working in pairs, with one student standing at each end of the length. Then show the actual distances to give them an idea of how accurate their estimates are.

8.Bikes and Cars. Take students to a nearby street and have them guess how long it will take a car to reach a designated point. Make the connection between this activity and the decisions a cyclist has to make when entering an intersection.

9. Measuring stopping distance. Have a volunteer (preferably an adult) ride a bicycle across the parking lot and then stop as quickly as possible. Measure the distance it took the cyclist to stop. Discuss with the class how this illustrates that a cyclist must look ahead for hazards to be able to stop in time. Repeat the activity with the cyclist traveling at various speeds. You may also have the students guess -before each trial - how many seconds it will take for the cyclist to stop completely.

10. Cycling Science. Visit this website for full descriptions and course materials to scientifically study:

http://www.sciencetech.technomuses.ca/english/schoolzone/pdfs/Cycle-ology/Section-3-Cycling-Science.pdf11. Taking a closer look at pollution   For exploring the environmental/health benefit, they recommended an experiment, using  index cards, with a thin coating of Vaseline to collect particulates from the air (found this other link for similar instructions http://www.starteaching.com/AirPollutionExperiment.pdf ).

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Videos** WINNIPEG BIKES HELMET VIDEOhttp://www.gov.mb.ca/healthyliving/hlp/bikesafety/index.html

1. Natural Cycle Bike Mechanic Videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i71Jua945aA2. Bike Winnipeg! videohttp://greenactioncentre.ca/content/bike-winnipeg/3. Winnipeg Bike Dump videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FGvU-KdkRM4.Winnipeg winter bike courierhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDFWF9nlR_45. Bike powered cinemahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDL_sKDv-G06. Amazing riding and “tricks” from Dan MacAskillhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj6ho1-G6tw7. Bike rackhttp://www.activelivingbydesign.org/communities/featured-community/bike-rap6. Calgary students cycling to schoolhttp://blogs.calgaryherald.com/2013/03/18/winter-bike-riding-kids-are-back-with-message-of-safe-streets/

Websites1. Green Action Centrehttp://greenactioncentre.ca/2. Active and Safe Routes to Schoolhttp://www.saferoutestoschool.ca/3. Winnipeg interactive bike maphttp://bikeplanit.org/map/index.html?site=wta&ll=49.87457,-97.167404&z=13&hl=testKML21,testKML30,testKML29,testKML20,testKML22,testKML24,testKML23,testKML7,testKML334. The Winnipeg Repair Education and Cycling Hubhttp://thewrench.ca/5. Bike to Work Daybiketoworkdaywinnipeg.org6. Bike to the Futurebiketothefuture.org7. Bike to School Vancouverhttp://www.biketoschoolmetrovan.ca/8. Active for life, bike articlehttp://activeforlife.ca/biking-to-school/9. Info on planning a bike rodeohttp://www.saferoutestoschool.ca/sites/default/files/Bike%20Rodeo-Planning%20Tips-Ottawa.pdf10. Ideas for cycling education (included above) from Borealishttp://www.borealisoutdoor.com/content/can-bike/schools/activities.PDF

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11. Scientific activities for students to learn bicycles:http://www.sciencetech.technomuses.ca/english/schoolzone/pdfs/Cycle-ology/Section-3-Cycling-Science.pdf12. Winter Bike to Work DayWinterbiketoworkday.org13. Photovoice- project description http://www.smartcommute.ca/media/uploads/pdf/HamiltonStudentPhotovoice2011.pdf

Recommendations for 2014:1. Have sponsors deliver all materials directly to the schools, so that teachers do

not need to pick up materials at different places across the city. Make sure that all swag, snacks and materials are delivered one week prior. This is especially important for large supplies like helmets and bike racks.

2. Determine how many large items are available to give away (bike racks etc.), run a contest for a school to win a bike rack, or design a bike rack (this could be “which ever school bikes the most kms over one week”). Other items to win could be a free Bike Trials performance or a pizza party at the end of their event.

3. If money can be found to supply everyone with t-shirts (all students), do so.

4. Go over the pre-event activities in a one-on-one meeting with school champions +provide example activities from past years to new schools who are participating.

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SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

1. Thank you letter from Susanne Dewey Povoledo, Wolseley School

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2. Thank you letter from John Anderson, Elmwood School

July 10, 2013

To the folks at Tire Stewardship:

On behalf of all the organizers of Bike to School at Elmwood High

School, I want to thank you for your kind donation of a large bike rack and helmets to the school. We are trying to promote bicycling

as a healthy and environmentally sound method of transportation. The bike rack will be well used, and the helmets will be important in

all bike programming, including future Bike to School programs and in-school instruction. The Phys Ed department is very keen to make

bikes a key part of its curriculum.

John AndersonBike to School Volunteer

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3. BIKE POLO LESSON PLAN

(5 MINUTES) Introduce polo and rules: Bike polo is a game that is basically hockey on bikes. It’s played with three players on each team. The players ride and try to hit the ball into the opponent’s goal with their mallets.If their feet touch the ground, they are out of the play until they “tap out” at the centre line.  They can’t touch the ball or play defense or anything like that, they have to get out of the play as fast as possible and tap out. (demonstrate) The contact allowed is mallet to mallet. You can’t hit another person with your mallet, and you can’t hit their bike with your mallet.  (demonstrate JUST the good conduct)

To score a goal, you have to hit the ball with the FLAT of your mallet. You can use the rest of the mallet to stop the ball, pass, or play defense, but you can ONLY score with the flat part of your mallet. If you get the ball by pushing it in, it doesn’t count. That’s called a shuffle. (demonstrate both)

REVIEW: the three rules are no touching the ground, contact is mallet to mallet and you have to score with the flat part of the mallet.

(5 MINUTES TO EXPLAIN, 15 TO DO) PRACTICE:First activity: two pylons, about 20 feet apart. Dribbling the ball, ride around the far pylon and then back. (demonstrate)

Second activity: after completing the first step, wait for a partner, then the two players pass it back and forth and shoot on a goal., 20 feet to the right of the original pylon. Players return to the line. (demonstrate)

Now we want to give everyone a chance to practice with the ball. Divide into two groups: “if your birthday is in July to December, stand by Luc! If your birthday is January to June, stand by Fabian!” Everyone should get to go through the line at least twice.

(5 MINUTES TO EXPLAIN, 15 TO PLAY) GAME: Bring everyone back together. Games are played 3 on 3, and they are played first to 5 or 10 minutes. We’ll be playing 2 minute games, should give enough rotation for everybody. Games start with a joust. The jouster must be on the left side of the net, other two players on the right side. CANNOT crash into the other jouster. When your team scores, you have to give the other team half.  TIP: you can lean on your mallet to play goalie or to stop. (demonstrate joust, demonstrate goalie).

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End of the game: show ball-jointing and hopping.

(5 MINUTES) END: Where do I go to play polo? How do I get a polo bike? How do I get a mallet? 

Total runtime: 50 minutes. If anything, we'll try to cut the drill time a little short to give more time to play.

FEEDBACK FROM FABIAN, BIKE POLO LEADER

How did it go? It was fun. Luc and I got there about 30 minutes early, so we caught the tail end of Richard’s first class. We started running through some of the lesson plan with them, which were really beneficial, as it let us clean up some of the rough ends that we hadn’t considered. One thing Luc pointed out was that we were operating with the assumption that everyone there was already a proficient cyclist and was comfortable riding with just one hand on their bars. With the second class, we took a bit of time to incorporate an activity that built riding skills before going on to the polo specific activities.

How did the kids respond? For the first class, I would say about 10-12 youth, or half the class, at least got on bikes and took mallets and gave it a try. We played a brief game with five of them.

For the second class, I would say about 3 / 4s of the class got on bikes and tried it out. Not everyone was interested in trying it, and we followed Richard’s lead in more loosely encouraging people than really pressuring them to get on the bikes. 3 / 4s tried it, but I would say more like half the class actually followed through and tried to participate in each activity, and played in the games at the end, probably 10-12 students. These students all showed high levels of comfort on a bike.

What did you end up doing? I’ve included the original lesson plan that I wrote up, but we varied a bit on the day of. We spent some time playing a game called “foot-downs.” Participants must ride inside a chalk circle without letting their foot touch the ground. After a given amount of time, they must ride within a smaller area. It rewards balance and track-standing ability, both useful for polo. We had the students try foot-downs first, then try foot downs with just one hand on their handlebars, to simulate polo conditions. There are a couple of other similar bike activities that build riding skills – the “slow race” is another one that Geoff had them doing before we arrived. I’m sure there are lots more – I’ll have to sift through the internet and Geoff’s brain to collect a few more useful ones.

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After foot downs, we gave the students mallets and tried to practice stick handling and passing skills, which were really, really difficult for almost all the participants. We just ran through that for a little bit, before we started up a game with them. The game ran a bit more smoothly.

It’s really hard to say what the actual process should be. It depends so much on the level of comfort of the youth in being on a bike and doing different things while riding. I think there should probably be two different plans. One looks like a one-day, one-off lesson, that includes some riding skills and riding safety, and a little bit of polo skills. The other would be a two-part lesson, split into a day of riding skills and a day of polo skills.

This summer, I am actually working at The W.R.E.N.C.H. as their Outreach Coordinator. One of the projects I am trying to install (with some difficulty) is a drop-in youth bike polo program in West Broadway and in Spence Neighbourhood. It’s a little bit different than the workshop style you’re envisioning. All the same, I’ll probably do a write-up of what activities worked and what didn’t at the end of the summer, which I can pass on to you.It will also give me a better idea of how to adapt equipment / space area for a youth crowd.

Equipment: Polo bikes are not a requirement. The lowest/easiest gear on most mountain or road bikes gives sufficient acceleration to play and get a feel for how the game works. We are halfway through completing a fleet of youth bike polo bikes (20” or 24” rims, a smaller size, with shifters and shifter cable removed, built to ride single speed), which could be used by anyone, but transportation is always a pain, and you really can play polo without a polo bike. The ball used is a hockey ball, so that should be no problem for most gyms, the same with cones for nets. There should be some communication between the coordinator and the teacher contact, though, about whether or not those things are present. Mallets are the biggest thing. When I went to Hugh John McDonald, I was carrying a stash of assorted mallets that all the polo players in Winnipeg had lent out to me. A lot of these didn’t fit the size of the youth very well, which makes stick-handling and passing a more difficult. There’s a lot of debate in the polo community, but generally, the mallet should be short enough that when sitting on the bike, when reaching straight down, the bottom of the mallet touches the ground. I have about 7 smaller “youth mallets” built up, and I’ll be making some more over the next couple of weeks. I could definitely share these with any polo adventures Bike to School Week hosts next year.Surface Area: This one is up in the air. It absolutely should be a hard-court space, but in terms of the size, I honestly don’t think it matters *too* much. At Hugh John McDonald, the fenced in basketball courts were big enough for us to run two

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games simultaneously, which means we could accommodate up to 12 youth at any given time. That spot worked well. I’m also experimenting with the both the basketball court (smaller size, better repair) and the hockey rink (bigger, bumpier) at BNC. We don’t have storage for our bikes at Magnus Eliason Recreation Centre yet, but we’ll be playing on a basketball court there.

Numbers: Hm. Anything more than 20 is probably getting chaotic. At Hugh John, we had a little more than 20 participants, but we had Luc, myself, Richard (teacher), plus Geoff Heath from the WRENCH, who stuck around to help us facilitate. I would say aiming for a 1:5 facilitator-participant ratio would be great, but less than that would work fine too.

Other: I imagine there are all kinds of ideas, concerns and recommendations I’ll have at the end of the summer. I will add, it’s been a LOT of legwork trying to get the idea up and running. We’ve had to construct/repair the bikes, build the mallets, secure storage space for the bikes (VERY difficult to find) and transport them to their location. I expect this thing will get easier once we have more experience, or if the participating school already has bikes there for participants to use.

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