Kindergartners at Catalina Elementary School may soon be riding bikes in their PE classes, but they need some help from the community.
All Kids Bike is a national program on a mission to teach every child in America how to ride a bike. They are currently working to bring the All Kids Bike Kindergarten PE Program to Catalina Elementary School. The program equips schools with everything they need to teach children how to ride; teacher training and certification, a structured 8-lesson curriculum, a fleet of Strider 14x Bikes, Pedal Conversion Kits, fully-adjustable helmets, and a five-year support plan.
“As of right now, Catalina Elementary has 754 students which are considered low income and 46 teachers full-time, with a Student-Teacher Ratio of 15.7,” said PE Teacher Mikel Anderson, who applied for the program. “Of the 754 students who attend Catalina, 85% of the students live within two miles of our school which means our students either walk or ride their bikes to school. Providing our students with this program will provide valuable physical and mental skills to help them develop confidence, the knowledge of how to ride, care and repair their bike, along with building their leg muscles and strengthen their bones. This program will also help provide continued exercise will help build their stamina and improve their cardiovascular development. It will also increase their coordination, balance and address the needs to make routes to school safer for active trips.”
Orange County Public Schools has three “F” schools, including Catalina Elementary. OCPS recognizes there are challenges in these schools, where students at all three of these schools are economically disadvantaged and are between 96% to 98% minority. A program like this could help a lot of deserving local students.
The Kindergarten PE Program is designed for children of all abilities and hopes to instill healthy habits at a young age. “One of the best ways to get kids active is to get them excited about bicycles,” said All Kids Bike board member Ryan McFarland, “It’s a skill that is going to serve them in life.”
To learn more about the program or make a donation, please visit here.
Launched in March 2018, there are already 660 schools in 50 states with All Kids Bike Kindergarten PE Programs.
