Bike To School Grant Program Announced:  ie Bike for Ice Cream and Popcorn parties

Our Bike to School Grant program is structured to set biking to school benchmark goals for students through a fun, competitive, and exciting competition which can result in higher ridership, a change of habits, greater awareness and parties for pedaling!  We are ready to give 10 schools up to $200 each to provide popcorn parties that will celebrate and reward biking to school.

How it works:
When students arrive to school by bicycle, volunteers are there to hand them a “I Biked to School” card.  When students arrive to their class, they deposit the card in the provided box.  A volunteer picks them up and counts them up in the morning (or can be done through a Google doc.), therefore keeping track of the number of trips done by bike by each class.  Every Friday, the class with the most trips done by bike is awarded an in-class popcorn party (can take place whenever).  Once the total number of trips done by biking or walking hits 60% of the total number of students over the coarse of 30 school days a school wide ice cream party will be awarded.  There is no set time limit for completion of the goal as long as it is achieved in the same school year.

Details:
We will happily reimburse up to $200 for the total cost of ice cream, ice cream toppings and popcorn (or similar themed parties) to the first 10 school representatives who have gotten the go ahead from their respective principal or organizing committee.  E-mail us any questions or to check on availability.  All we ask for in return is photos of your effective bike to school campaign.  We will not reimburse for paperware, plasticware, and other non-food costs and fully encourage picking up of materials by bicycle or non-motorized means. We are flexible in how the effort is organized, yet interested in seeing that competition between classes occurs and a school-wide goal is met and worked towards.

Steps:

Decide if you want to include walking, scooters etc. in the mix and make a big wooden goal board for out in front of the school…of course with “Ice Cream Party” at the top.  Students will see how they are individually contributing to the project and will become more invested in it.  Paint or color some pop-sicle sticks or cards or something that can be passed out as students arrive to school.  They could be different colors for biking and walking, they could say…”I biked today” or “biking it and liking it!”.  Inform all students, parents and teachers well in advance (up to a couple months) and provide each classroom a shoebox, envelope or container for the students to deposit their sticks or cards into.  Make an announcement each week with the individual class winners who will be given a popcorn party as well as total trips and how many more are needed until the school-wide party.

Call or email with questions:

ian@bicyclebenefits.org

518-396-8376