Photo: Emma Norton Services contacted Metro Transit to organize a How to Ride presentation for their youth and families!
Biking
- Walk! Bike! Fun! Curriculum: Bike! Fun! is a bicycle curriculum for youth grades 3-6. It is comprised of nine thirty-minute lessons on bicycle safety for youth. Youth practice safe bicycle handling, perform safety checks on their bicycles, fit helmets, pedal and brake, learn the rules of the road and how to communicate with drivers and other cyclists. There are four bonus lessons on healthy choices, bicycling courtesy, and peripheral vision and reaction time. Videos to support the curriculum can be found on the Bicycle Alliance website. Offered by the Minnesota Department of Transportation, BlueCross BlueShield, and Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota.
- League Cycling Instructors: Instructors carry League of American Bicyclist insurance for classes and rides in the state of Minnesota. Get certified as a cycling instructor or find classes offered by certified cycling instructors. Course offerings can be found on their calendar, or email info@bikemn.org to set up a training. Offered by the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota
- Educator Training: Educators can complete a training for the Walk! Bike! Fun! Curriculum through the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota, at which they receive 8 CEUs and the curriculum itself. Priority is given to educators at schools with current Safe Routes to Schools grants. Trainings are held across Minnesota, sign up early to reserve a spot. Offered by BlueCross Blue Shield and the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota
- Bikeability Checklist: Use the bikeability checklist to do an assessment of your site to clarify barriers to biking in your neighborhood and find ways to advocate for making your area or neighborhood more bike friendly. Offered by the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center.
- Bicycle Safety Videos: Age-appropriate videos for youth ages 5-18 teaching youth how to bicycle more safely. Includes three videos in English and Spanish, as well as quizzes on each video. Offered by Bicycle Safer Journey.
- Earn-A-Bike Program: Youth go through a program of basic bike mechanic training and bicycle safety courses. Once they complete a certain number of hours of classwork and hands-on practice, youth can “graduate” and earn a free bicycle to ride. Email earnabike@cyclesforchange.org for the lists of current classes. Offered by Cycles for Change.
- Youth Apprenticeship: Trains youth ages 14-21 to become bike mechanics and help others fix their bicycles. Apprenticeships are offered as a summer training program and as a school-year program beginning in September. Applicants have to fill out an online application. Offered by Cycles for Change.
- Mini-grants: Funding for improving safe routes to school. Consider partnering with neighboring schools to submit grants for resources to support safe youth transportation. Safe Routes to School is going through a strategic planning process, but plans to offer these grants on a yearly or biannual basis. Check the Safe Routes to School website for grant solicitations and updates. Offered by Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Minnesota.
Walking
- Walk! Bike! Fun! Curriculum: Walk! Fun! is a pedestrian curriculum for grades K-3. It is comprised of four thirty-minute lessons on pedestrian safety for youth. This curriculum is meant to increase safety and empower youth to walk to more places. Youth learn how to walk near traffic, use crosswalks, and cross safely around visual barriers, and use crossing signals and traffic signs. Videos to support the curriculum can be found on the Bicycle Alliance website. Offered by the Minnesota Department of Transportation, BlueCross BlueShield, and the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota.
- Educator Training: Educators can complete a training for the Walk! Bike! Fun! Curriculum through the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota, at which they receive 8 CEUs and the curriculum itself. Priority is given to educators at schools with current Safe Routes to Schools grants. Trainings are held across Minnesota, sign up early to reserve a spot. Offered by BlueCross Blue Shield and the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota.
- Walkability Checklist: Use the walkability checklist to do an assessment of your site to clarify barriers to walking near your site and find ways to advocate for making your neighborhood more pedestrian-friendly. Offered by the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center.
- Crosswalk Event Toolkit: Toolkit for putting together an event at a crosswalk or busy intersection to raise visibility of pedestrians. Youth and adults hold signs at corners and crosswalks as cars drive by. Posters and signs are available for download and printing, and banners can be borrowed for the event. Includes a how-to guide. Offered by the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
- Walking Safety Video: Age-appropriate videos for youth ages 5-18 teaching youth how to walk more safely. Includes three videos in English and Spanish, as well as quizzes on each video. Offered by Pedestrian Safer Journey.
- Mini-grants: Funding for improving safe routes to school. Consider partnering with neighboring schools to submit grants for resources to support safe youth transportation. Safe Routes to School is going through a strategic planning process, but plans to offer these grants on a yearly or biannual basis. Check the Safe Routes to School website for grant solicitations and updates. Offered by Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Minnesota.
Metro Transit
- How to Ride: Metro Transit staff comes to a program or event to do a free training to teach people how to use Metro Transit buses. Includes a free pass for each program participant. Contact Doug Cook for more information. Offered by Metro Transit
- Safety video: This video features the superheroes Metro Man and Light Rail Lady teaching about how to ride Metro Transit bus and light rail safely. Offered by Youth Coordinating Board Minneapolis.