By Sarah Dawson
Goodhue County Health & Human Services
Burnside Elementary School has acquired a set of adjustable bicycles that are being incorporated into the physical education curriculum. This purchase was made possible through a Minnesota Department of Transportation Safe Routes to School grant.
The SRTS program was established in 2005 through federal legislation to:
- enable and encourage children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bicycle to school;
- to make walking and bicycling to school safe and more appealing;
- to facilitate the planning, development and implementation of projects that will improve safety, and reduce traffic, fuel consumption, and air pollution near schools.
Burnside worked with the Red Wing Safe Routes to School team to establish a Safe Routes to School Plan, which was finalized in June 2023. Burnside then applied for and received a Boost Grant to purchase 25-30 bicycles of various sizes, bicycle helmets, supplies and a portable storage trailer. Owning a bike fleet creates more opportunity to educate second through fourth grade students on safe biking skills.
“I’m excited to be able to provide hands-on bicycle training to the students here at Burnside Elementary School,” said Jennifer Grove, Burnside Elementary School principal. “We also look forward to adding to our bike fleet for use at our different buildings.”
In 2023, Minnesota mandated that all students in public schools must receive age-appropriate education related to safe walking and bicycling. MnDOT created a curriculum that Burnside Elementary school will use to teach roadway safety, so students are riding safely and obeying riding laws. All students now have the opportunity to bike whether or not they have access to a bicycle outside of school hours.
Students could use the bike skills they gain from the bike fleet to bike in their neighborhoods, to their bus stops, or to school. Walking and biking to school or the bus stop builds children’s confidence and independence, strengthens neighborhood connections, makes the students healthier, and gets the brain ready to learn. Encouraging students to walk or bike to school not only gives the child independence and fresh air, but also minimizes traffic near the school which increases safety at the school entrance and near the school for other children walking or biking.
Physical activity before and after school has shown to increase kids’ ability to focus when they arrive at school, which fits into the school’s larger goal of increased academic achievement.
