Educators in the Austin area will bring new lesson plans focused on safe walking and bicycling into the classrooms with the help of the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota (BikeMN) and their Walk! Bike! Fun! curriculum.

Vision 2020 Bike Walk Trails committee collaborated with Mower County SHIP to bring the free BikeMN training to Austin.

“We know there is a desire in the community to teach children how to ride safely and we are excited to bring this curriculum to area teachers,” said Laura Helle, Director of Vision Creation, in a press release. “Ultimately, this tool will help prevent accidents and injury to our kids.”

Area educators are participating in curriculum training on lesson plans with BikeMN on Sept. 24 at I.J. Holton Intermediate School. This training will help them to teach children ages five to 13 how to be safe pedestrians and bicyclists through age-specific classroom lessons and activities, and on-the-bike skills practice. The goal of this curriculum, which BikeMN created in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) and the Center for Prevention at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, is to build the students’ confidence with walking and biking and help them to stay safe, active and healthy.

“It’s awesome to see teachers light up when they learn that children can be taught bicycle safety through on-the-bike activities while at school,” Michelle Breidenbach, Safe Routes to School Education Coordinator with BikeMN, said in a press release. “These are safety skills that kids will use for a lifetime and will help them to become healthier individuals!”

Youth use the streets for bicycling every day,yet roads can be hazardous and children are not formally educated to skillfully maneuver on the streets. With lessons from this curriculum, teachers will have what they need to teach students traffic rules and regulations, potential hazards, and skills needed to walk and bike safely through their community. The extensive road, and specifically on-the-bicycle lessons offered by this program are designed to increase bike ridership, physical activity, and safe and predictable riding among youth.

Teachers and other local educators interested in this training can RSVP for it at austinwbf.eventbrite.com.