Kindergarten and first grade students at Klondike Elementary School are taking their first strides in learning to ride a bike. PE teacher Andrea Bornino is using a grant from the Public Schools Foundation of Tippecanoe County with matching funds from Virtuous Cycles and other sponsors to participate in the All Kids Bike program.

The students start with bikes that do not have pedals or training wheels. “Students will complete several Stride Bike challenges and build confidence for learning how to balance on their bikes,” says Bornino. “Once students have passed the Stride Bike balancing challenges, pedals will be added.”

Each student is given a helmet, donated through the Bike Safe IN program, for them to keep when they are finished with their lessons.

Bornino says learning how to ride a bike is a lifelong skill, where you learn full body motor skills such as coordination, balance, confidence, strength and focus: “This program will provide students with the opportunity to find their joy and increase their confidence when learning how to balance and ride a bike.”

All Kids Bike is a national movement on a mission to teach every child in America how to ride a bike in kindergarten PE class. Launched in 2017, 645 schools in 50 states are running the All Kids Bike Kindergarten PE program.