Walk! Bike! Fun! - Bike Safety Training Completed in Warren

As the weather warms, the numbers of bikers and walkers on area streets and sidewalks is increasing. That means it’s time to get ready to refresh area educators and city and county personnel on biking and walking safety methods and practices. 

Trainers from the Bicycle Alliance of MN, partnered with the Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP), presented a “Walk! Bike! Fun!” curriculum training program May 12 in the Warren, Alvarado, Oslo School district. Area physical education teachers, law enforcement personnel, public health officials and physical activity advocates from throughout northern Minnesota attended. 

Their morning was spent in the classroom learning lessons and effective techniques to teach kids about walking and biking safety. In the afternoon, they headed outside, braving the cold and windy weather, to learn different drills they could use to teach bike safety. They used the Bicycle Alliance bike fleet for the class and then took a 3.5-mile group ride in Warren to put their newly learned skills to good use.

Participants came from several area schools, including WAO, Kittson County Central, Grygla and Red Lake County Central. Staff from the Regional Development Commission, Marshall County Law Enforcement and are public health offices also came. The schools that sent participants now will have access, and may request, use of the Bicycle Alliance’s bike fleet.

Upon request, the alliance will bring about 20 bikes that include all necessary safety equipment to the schools. Those bikes can then be used for up to five days free. The alliance will also pick the bikes up at no charge. Trained educators also now have access to a variety of free resources and technical assistance from the alliance.

The goal of this training was to be able to educate and encourage kids to walk and bike to school and to ensure they are doing it safely. This training, which will now be passed on from educator to student, should ensure that goal is met.

For further information about the Bicycle Alliance of MN and its Walk! Bike! Fun! Curriculum, please contact: Frances Tougas at North Valley Public Health, 218-745-5154; or Laura Dahl at Quin County CHS, 218-874-7845.