The Papoose Club and Community Rally Funds; First School in Idaho Launches All Kids Bike Program
The Papoose Club and Community Rally Funds; First School in Idaho Launches All Kids Bike Program
Every kindergartner at Ernest Hemingway STEAM School will have the opportunity to learn to ride a bike in P.E. Class
(Ketchum, ID) November 6, 2019. – The Papoose Club and Ketchum community banded together and donated a complete Learn-To-Ride Program, including Strider Learn-To-Ride Bikes, helmets and curriculum to Ernest Hemingway STEAM School. The bikes will be assembled November 22nd at Ernest Hemingway STEAM School in a collaborative effort by various parents, who volunteered their time, along with students and school employees.
This generous donation will help approximately 300 kindergarten students at Ernest Hemingway STEAM School learn to ride over the next five years. Kindergarten students at other Blaine County School District schools will also have an opportunity to use the bikes. This is the first program of its kind in the state of Idaho.
The Strider Bikes will be delivered to the kindergarten physical education class at Ernest Hemingway STEAM School of Blaine County School District and will be incorporated into their curriculum between December 2nd and January 31st.
Ernest Hemingway STEAM School and Blaine County School District will receive everything they need to get their students pedaling through the Kindergarten P.E. program. The program includes a proven, integrative curriculum, staff training and certification, the revolutionary, child-friendly Strider Learn-To-Ride Bikes, and helmets. The fleet of dual-propulsion 14x Strider Bikes start as balance bikes and convert to pedal bikes. This conversion makes learning to ride easier than ever before and makes training wheels obsolete. The Strider Education Foundation, the program provider, also offers continued support for each school to ensure everyone involved is successful for five years.
Ernest Hemingway STEAM School principal, Tish Short, was grateful for the opportunity to teach students to ride. “Healthy body, healthy mind that’s one of our mottos at Hemingway STEAM School. Thank you to the Papoose club for getting us ‘rolling’ with our new Strider bikes!”
“I am a first year PE teacher and I’m thrilled to have the support of my community in bringing bikes to the Ernest Hemingway STEAM School PE program. I look forward to seeing the physical, social, emotional and mental benefits riding a bike can have on young students. As a STEAM school teacher, I am excited to include the students in the assembly process of the bikes to help incorporate engineering into PE. Our Kindergarten team is brainstorming ways to use the bikes outside of PE once all kids are rolling! I am so grateful to The Papoose Club for their grant and to all the private donors who made this possible! We will be full STEAM ahead when our bikes arrive.” Kerstin Flavin, PE Teacher
The Kindergarten PE Program is designed for children of all abilities and hopes to instill healthy habits at a young age. “One of the best ways to get kids active is to get them excited about bicycles,” says All Kids Bike board member, Ryan McFarland, “It’s a skill that is going to serve them in life.”
About the Papoose Club
Papoose Club is a non-profit volunteer organization that supports youth-oriented groups in the Wood River Valley through fundraising activities and community events. Everyone is welcome! The club was founded in 1954 by a group of local moms and was formally incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1975. Essentially, Papoose Club provides important financial support to local organizations that serve children. We make it possible for kids of the Wood River Valley to grow up with access to a wide variety of activities. The Club’s mission is to support cultural, social, educational and athletic activities for the children in the Wood River Valley.
About Ernest Hemingway STEAM School
Hemingway STEAM School is a K-8 STEAM School sitting at the base of Bald Mountain in Ketchum, Idaho. We serve students of many ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds. We are part of a very active outdoor community. Students participate in a school wide winter sports program that includes nordic and alpine skiing, snowshoeing and ice skating. We will now have a beginner’s bike program at our school.
At Hemingway STEAM School, our mission is to provide all children a safe and supportive learning environment in which they can explore their creativity, take intellectual risks, and reach their full potential. Our vision is to have a school where all children are fully engaged and actively involved in their education.
About Strider® Education Foundation and All Kids Bike®
All Kids Bike is a national movement led by the Strider® Education Foundation to place Kindergarten PE Learn-To-Ride Programs into public schools for free, using donations from individuals, businesses, and organizations. The Strider Education Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, was formed in 2017. The Strider Education Foundation believes that learning to ride can help everyone lead a happier and healthier life. Through the development of a proven Learn-To-Ride curriculum and donations of the world’s most advanced training bikes, the nonprofit organization makes riding available, safe, easy, and fun for everyone.
