(Michael Achterling – North Dakota Monitor) – Gov. Doug Burgum flashed his biking acumen and his inner child during the state’s rollout of the All Kids Bike program Monday.
The program, funded through a $1.5 million state grant in collaboration with private donors, aims to teach every kindergartener in North Dakota how to ride a bicycle during physical education class.
“We’re the first state in the entire country where every school building is going to have the All Kids Bike riding opportunity,” Burgum told students of Bismarck’s Will-Moore Elementary School on Monday.
The All Kids Bike program provides more than two dozen bikes to each school along with helmets, equipment, storage racks and lesson plans to ensure every student will be able to ride a bike upon completion of the course. Schools with smaller student enrollment received fewer bikes and equipment, an All Kids Bike program spokesperson said.
Jill Vallejo, principal at Will-Moore Elementary School, said she’s been with the school for three years and, in her first year, only 10 kids participated in a “bike to school” event around the nearby Capitol. She said she now needs more adults to help chaperone the bike ride due to the increased interest.
“In our neighborhoods, it’s really good for our kids to have that independence and that freedom to bike around and get where they want to go,” Vallejo said. “A lot of our students have never rode a bike, don’t own a bike, and then we have a high population of new families to America who have never experienced any of those things.” she said.She added bike riding also gives students the opportunity to be outside and off their electronics.
Through All Kids Bike, 223 North Dakota elementary schools received bikes and other program materials, according to an organization news release. The program includes schools in tribal communities and private schools.
“When I was a kid, I loved riding bike,” Burgum said. “I kind of borrowed my older sister’s bike and learned to ride on that, but I wasn’t big enough to reach the seat so I had to stand up to pedal.”
Burgum also told the students bike riding is a great way to stay active and in shape. He challenged city leaders around the state to start thinking about adding more bike riding options for residents instead of catering to cars and trucks.
“Other places that are colder and snowier than North Dakota, places like Finland, all the kids your age would all be riding their bikes to school, all year round,” Burgum told the students. “When they go out to plow the roads, you know what they plow first? They plow the bike paths first so the kids can get to school safely, even in the wintertime.”
More than 1,500 schools nationwide participate in the All Kids Bike program, which began in 2018, said Lisa Weyer, executive director.
She said the cost per school is about $9,000 for the bikes, equipment and storage units.
“Statistics show that only one in four kids will ride a bike and we wanted to reverse that,” she said. “Obviously, the health benefits, the focus, the energy, the confidence that bike riding does, it’s more than just a bike.”
Weyer said she’s hopeful other states will take note of the program’s progress and implement the All Kids Bike program.
Across all 50 states, more than 150,000 students have learned to ride bicycles per year due to the All Kids Bike program, according to a news release about the organization. More information on All Kids Bike can be found at www.allkidsbike.org.
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