Bike to School
Participating Schools: Bike to School Day
Participating Schools: Bike to School Month
Bike Commuting isn't just for adults! This year the Cascade Bicycle Club Education Foundation is premiering the Bike to School Month Challenge to promote the benefits of commuting to school by bike. When you cycle to school with your child you:
• Create daily exercise habits that will help protect your child from childhood obesity and related diseases throughout their lifetime.
• Reduce car traffic and air pollution in the immediate vicinity of your school and playground.
• Teach your child safe cycling habits that enable them to become a competent, independent cyclist as they grow older.
You know your child and your route to school best, but in general young children are not prepared to ride on the street alone. We envision participation in Bike-to-School Month as a family project, one that may also introduce parents to the fun of cycling with their kids!
How it Works
Rather than competing against each other, students earn prizes by completing as many trips as they can. Cascade is offering incentives for certain numbers of trips to school made by bicycle.* Everyone who participates wins a prize, with different prizes for different numbers of trips:
• 1 trip earns a tiny first aid kit ("ouch pouch").
• 5 trips earn a blinking star light ("blinky").
• 10 trips earn a tire patch kit with tire levers.
• 15 trips earn a cycle computer to keep track of your speed and mileage.
In addition, Cascade is sponsoring an area-wide Bike-to-School challenge. The school team that makes the most total trips will win a bike stunt team show for their school and an article featuring their Bike-to-School team in the Cascade Courier.
*Because every child cannot cycle safely to school, and because the "work" that kids do also includes sports, music lessons, trips to the library, play dates, etc., commuter trips for Bike to School 2006 will include any trip made by bicycle somewhere your child needs to go, one round-trip per day.
If you are new to bicycle commuting, please visit our resources page for great tips on getting started.
