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Maps Updated!
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Bicycle Friendly Award Ideas to help schools become bicycle friendly Fact: Nine out of ten Canadian children own a bicycle and list bicycle riding as one of their top ten most favourite physical activities. Opportunity: The school is in the unique position to encourage this healthy physical activity and also take advantage of opportunities to reinforce safe cycling. Fact: In some school environments it may not be feasible for children to ride their bikes to school. Children are riding bicycles outside of school hours. Opportunity: Read on for simple ideas for making your school more bicycle friendly without the necessity of encouraging cycling to school. Cool and simple ideas: Provide students with the Young Cyclists Guide. Order copies from the Ministry of Health or Regional Niagara Public Health Dept. Display "Be Cool Helmets Rule". Contact the Youth Connection Elementary team to book the display. Invite your Youth Connection Elementary nurse to provide a WHEEL LAPS presentation (a classroom presentation on safety issues related to bicycles, scooters and roller blades) to your students. Advertise local bike rodeos in your school newsletters. Provide bike safety tips and information at morning announcements. Host a school contest to create morning announcements that highlight cycling tips safety rules, and cycling as a great form of physical activity. Award the best announcement with a bike bell, reflector tape or a helmet. Have a contest to encourage students to think about bike safety rules and award a prize. Students bring their bicycle helmets to school to enter their name into a draw for a bicycle related prize. Invite a cycling enthusiast to speak about bicycling trails in the Niagara Region during Bike Week (May 31 to June 8, 2003) or any other time of the year. Encourage students to list ALL the opportunities for utilitarian use of their bicycle: visit a friend, ride to the corner store etc. Use www.regional.niagara.on.ca/gncr (Greater Niagara Circle Route) and www.rnbc.info (Regional Niagara Bicycling Committee) as interesting web sites to visit when teaching about the internet. Partner with your local State Farm agent and Youth Connection Elementary Nurse to organize a bike rodeo at your school.
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