It’s no accident if students at one Near Northside charter school know more about
Warren Smock (in royal blue shirt) of The League of American Bicyclists instructs Project School students.
bicycling than many of their contemporaries. At The Project School, a formal program promotes an active lifestyle for students and families through all the forms of biking.
“Through bicycling, students will learn about all the benefits of bicycling such as: improved health, low cost transportation, competition, and fun,” said Norman Gwaltney, technology infusion teacher at The Project School.
As part of the TPS Bike Program, the school has staged two Bike Weeks that included such events as Dust off Your Bike Day, Safety Day, Bike to School Day, and Bicycle Community Day. Over 55 students have received safety training from Warren Smock, a certified trainer of The League of American Bicyclists.
Gwaltney said that last year 40 percent of the staff rode their bikes to school on Bike to School Day, and the school received a $75,000 Safe Routes to School Grant for development of a plan to improve walking and riding to school. The school provides 22 bikes for students who don’t have their own bikes to use on rides and field trips.
School officials are working with the Bicycle Action Group on plans for a year-round bicycle program that would incorporate a Bicycle Theater. The theater would be a station in physical education class, where students would ride spinning bikes for 15-20 minutes while viewing some health, geography or other engaging content. “The biggest challenge to a year-round program is keeping kids engaged in the dark months of winter,” Gwaltney said.
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