Overview
Get Kids Biking! is an exciting program open to all schools serving Grade 7 students. It is designed to develop new riders and to teach current riders the skills to bike safely in an urban environment. Instruction is delivered by NYCPS teachers, supported by Bike New York instructors who also provide professional development to our teachers. The Bike New York curriculum is designed as six forty minute on-bike modules and is to be delivered as a unit of physical education to all seventh-grade students during their physical education periods. The program provides all necessary equipment, including bicycles, storage trailers, and a helmet for each student who participates.
Since 2017, over 15,000 students have participated in the program. Of those, approximately 2,000 students have learned to ride for the first time.
Applications from schools are solicited through the Principals’ Weekly in April of each year for the following school year. Schools may request up to three sessions for when they would like to participate. While the program team tries to accommodate every school’s first or second choice, this is not always possible.
How does it work?
Bike New York offers a mandatory full day of professional development for the school staff who will deliver the program.
NYC Department of Transportation delivers a trailer of 40 bicycles to your school (participation is contingent on availability of safe trailer or bike storage).
NYC Department of Transportation delivers a helmet for each of your seventh-grade students
School staff, under the supervision of a teacher, delivers the curriculum to students during their physical education periods.
Bike New York sends one of its instructors to advise and assist the school’s teachers in delivering the program.
Bicycles remain at the school for approximately three weeks, allowing each student as many as six opportunities for on-bike instruction
What does the school need to do?
Commit at least two trained staff members to be on the field whenever there are students on bikes. At least one staff member must be a teacher.
Send any staff who are new to the program to professional development.
Arrange for their entire seventh grade to participate, including students in self-contained classes.
Deliver the instruction during the school day.
Provide a schedule to the team prior to the delivery of any equipment of when the pre-program assembly, helmet fitting, and on bike instruction to the Get Kids Biking! program will occur.
Provide space to deliver, store, and utilize bikes. Schools may elect to store bikes in the trailers in which they are delivered or to provide secure, locked indoor storage. Approximately 100 feet of outdoor space is required to accommodate a trailer.
Perform “ABC Quick Check” on all bikes prior to each use.
Provide safety instruction using Bike NY Curriculum to all participants and complete as many of the six lessons as possible. Students who do not yet know how to ride must be trained to do so as part of the program.
Ensure proper helmet usage by all participants, students and adults.
Instruct and assist with fit adjustments on bikes and helmets.
Provide supervision of equipment usage.
Provide on-site contact name(s) and cell phone number(s) for administrator and teachers.
How will a Bike New York Instructor assist the program?
Bike New York instructors have skills and experience that are very helpful, especially for schools who are new to the program. They can:
Teach students the learn-to-ride curriculum under the supervision of a NYCPS certified teacher
Provide expertise on the curriculum and instruction
Advise on best practices in bike safety education
Do, and instruct school staff on, minor repairs such as tire changes, chain replacement and brake adjustment.
Bike New York instructors do not:
Repair broken bicycles
Load and unload trailers
Deliver the bike safety curriculum to students, except as an advisor to a NYCPS teacher
Bike New York instructors are a valuable and scarce resource. They frequently come to a school by bicycle. If changes are made to the instruction schedule, the school must notify the instructor as soon as possible, preferably 24 hours in advance. Repeated cancellations without proper notice will result in Bike New York withdrawing their instructor support. Schools that violate this requirement may be dropped from the Get Kids Biking! program.
Forms and templates