LAUSD Pilots All Kids Bike Program in Los Angeles Kindergarten PE Classes

Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — All Kids Bike, a nationwide movement of the Strider Education Foundation, delivered two new cycling education programs to Los Angeles kindergarten PE classes at Marvin Elementary School and 6^th Avenue Elementary School last Friday. Part of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), these two schools are helping pilot the novel program that is expanding across the country with the mission of teaching every kid how to ride a bike in public school.

“When we give our students opportunities like today, we’re giving our scholars a chance to feel the wind in their hair, to build confidence and independence to go new places and do great things. We’re writing a new future for young people, and we would love to see all of our elementary schools have this program,” said Alison Yoshimoto-Towery, Chief Academic Officer for LA Unified School District who was onsite for the bike assembly and delivery.

The two new LAUSD school programs were funded through a Flying Piston Benefit fundraiser in 2019 and will give every kindergarten student at these schools over the next five years the opportunity to learn to ride a bike in PE class.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our young scholars to experience the joy of cycling. The confidence gained from learning how to balance and ride a bike will provide an invaluable lesson around self-efficacy. By mastering the skill of riding, students can realize they have the power to face and overcome any challenge,” says William Celestine, LAUSD Director of Wellness Programs. “The All Kids Bike program will enable our students to participate in an extraordinary fun activity, that promotes exercise which will increase students heart rate and help supercharge their mental circuits to beat back stress and sharpen their thinking.”

Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is the second largest in the nation serving over 600,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade at over 1,000 schools. While All Kids Bikes programs have already been implemented in more than 385 schools in 45 states, adopting the All Kids Bike program throughout LAUSD can serve hundreds-of-thousands of kids for years to come and create a tipping point for awareness, funding and adoption at schools across the country.

“Kids today are spending over seven hours per day on screens, they are more sedentary than ever before, and obesity and related health issues are at record highs. Seventy-five percent of US kids won’t ride a bicycle even one time this year.  For many, it is simply because they don’t know how to ride and have never tasted the joy and independence riding offers. And studies show that, compared with 10 years ago, there has been a 35 percent drop in the number of kids riding bicycles today,” said All Kids Bike Founder, Ryan McFarland. “Starting kids on bikes as early as kindergarten can make a significant impact in their lives, not only with their skills and development, but their enthusiasm to engage in physical fitness and outdoor recreation that can carry on throughout their lives.”

McFarland had just wrapped a weeklong sprint across the country delivering All Kids Bike programs to kids in Omaha alongside Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts, then to Laguna Beach, California, delivering programs with mountain biking legend and All Kids Bike ambassador Brian Lopes, before leading the effort in Los Angeles.

Motorsports and cycling industry VIPs joined All Kids Bike and Flying Piston Benefit at the Petersen Automotive Museum on Friday, assembling Strider Bikes and delivering them to waiting kids and teachers at both schools in Los Angeles. Notable celebrity guests and supporters in attendance included US Olympian and pro tour cyclist, Tony Cruz; Formula 1 World Champion, Jenson Button; professional racer, Terry Madden; actor Sean McNabb; and musician Tanya O’Callaghan. All Kids Bike founder, Ryan McFarland; Sturgis Buffalo Chip owner, Rod Woodruff; and Los Angeles Unified School District’s chief academic officer, Aliso Yoshimoto-Towery were also in attendance.

The Flying Piston Benefit is a fundraising event held annually at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip. Custom motorcycle builders donate their time and talent to create Tiny Strider Customs that are sent to the Mecum Motorcycle Auction in Las Vegas for sale to collectors. Funds raised by the Flying Piston Benefit and the subsequent auction are donated to All Kids Bike to improve the lives of children. In 2019, Jessi Combs and Terry Madden created the Tiny Strider Custom that sold at Mecum Auction to fund the All Kids Bike Program for Marvin Elementary School and 6th Avenue Elementary School in Los Angeles.

“Thanks to the generosity of the Flying Piston Benefit, the time and talent donated by custom builders, and the support of the buyers at Mecum Auction, and everyone who attended today’s bike build and delivery here in Los Angeles we’ve been able to expand the All Kids Bike Program to two schools in LAUSD, helping us move closer to our goal of getting every child in America on a bicycle,” McFarland said.

Learning to ride a bike at a young age increases confidence while developing balance, mobility, safety, environmental awareness, and facilitating exercise. The bikes used in the All Kids Bike program allow children and teachers to progress through the riding process void of fear and full of encouragement. Kids develop their skills with each session, first learning to balance, then learning to pedal, all on the same bicycle.

With every new school entered in the All Kids Bike program, more children across the country are learning life skills and getting much needed exercise while getting away from their computer screens and spending more time outdoors. The Kindergarten PE Program supports critical health and safety needs, including:

• Spatial awareness: Teaches the concept and understanding of “safe distancing” to a child.
• Limited touch points: Specifically-designated hand placement limits cross-class touch points.
• Fosters overall health: Core muscle development, cardio activity, and mental motivation.

The All Kids Bike school funding and waiting lists are online at https://support.allkidsbike.org

About All Kids Bike

All Kids Bike is a national movement led by the nonprofit Strider Education Foundation to place Kindergarten PE Learn-To-Ride Programs into public schools for free using donations from individuals, businesses and organizations. One of the key goals of the organization is to make riding a bicycle the fourth “R” of elementary education along with reading, writing and arithmetic. The ability to ride improves a life greatly while developing balance, mobility, safety, environmental awareness and facilitating exercise. It instills confidence in the classroom, home and community. As of September 15, 2021, the All Kids Bike Kindergarten PE Program is running in 348 schools in 43 states, impacting 58,934 students this year.

• Marvin Elementary Students ride their new Strider Bikes
• Petersen Automotive Museum hosts a bike build with LAUSD officials, motorcycle enthusiasts, and other celebrity guests