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Bicyclist education programs run the gamut from one-hour sessions that introduce the idea of riding straight to kindergarten-aged children, to multi-day training courses where older children learn "real world" skills on their bikes, in some cases using quiet streets. There are programs to fit nearly any time and budget constraints.
Bicycle education in the schools is a chance to:

* encourage children to be more physically active
* instruct children on the safe operation of a street-legal vehicle

get parents involved (and maybe a little more educated as well)
There is, however, a trade-off between the scope of the program and results. Passive approaches like assemblies, classroom lectures, and pamphlets may get across a few brief points, but they won't teach kids how to ride.

Before recommending a specific curriculum, take a look at the variety of programs being used. Listed below is the "Good Practices Guide For Bicycle Safety Education." This booklet, produced by the Federal Highways Administration, looks at 15 existing bicycle safety education programs in the United States and Canada.

Reading through the case studies, you're bound to get some ideas on what your program might look like. The guide includes contact information for each program so you can learn more about specific offerings. You may hear that teachers in your local school system simply don't have the time to offer bicycle safety education.

While school time is precious, there are proven ways to introduce bicycling, as has been shown in school districts throughout the country. This is your opportunity to offer you own time as a parent or concerned adult to assist with a bicycle safety education course. An hour or two a week for five weeks could bring big rewards for the children and for you.

You can also work with your school administrators to look for opportunities to bring in guest speaker or instructors to address bicycle safety. This could happen as part of a field day, a special assembly, or even in lieu of a class trip. Other opportunities may exist at the end of the school year when teachers look for alternative programming.

- Good Practices Guide for Bicycle Safety Education (FHWA) | PDF File 442KB

Note: You'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to read the item listed above. If you don't have Acrobat Reader already installed on your computer, you can get it here.