As spring takes hold in British Columbia the province is working to help students improve their cycling skills and riding confidence.
Thousands of elementary school students in Kelowna, the West Kootenays, Prince George, Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Island and Metro Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»area will learn basic biking skills and helmet safety, as well as hand signals and road sign awareness this spring.
"Learning confidence and safety skills while cycling will encourage a new generation to make environmentally friendly travel choices," said Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. "Promoting cycling as a fun and healthy way to get around is part of our upcoming Clean Transportation Action Plan."
This is the fourth year of "Everyone Rides Grade 4-5."
"Opportunities for more exercise - like biking to school - have many benefits for students, including improved learning outcomes and longer attention spans, as well as better overall health," said Rachna Singh, Minister of Education and Child Care.
"This exciting program helps students to feel safe biking while breaking down barriers so more students can enjoy the benefits of active transportation for school and life."
Everyone Rides Grade 4-5 is a program developed and delivered by HUB Cycling, a not-for-profit organization that has 25 years of experience helping remove barriers to cycling and promoting the health, environmental and economic benefits of cycling through education and training.
More than 22,000 students have participated through a combination of online, in-class and on-bike learning since the program began .
The B.C. government has invested $1.4 million in the Everyone Rides Grade 4-5 program since 2020.
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