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Summer Camps
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 In summer 2011, Local Motion will be working with Parks & Recreation programs in three communities -- Burlington, Shelburne, and Charlotte -- to offer both specialized bike skills camps and bike skills trainings as part of general-interest camps. All camps will use the Bike Smart curriculum (developed by Local Motion and the Center for Health and Learning), with a focus on fun, fast-paced drills that build foundational skills for confident bike riding.
BURLINGTON
- The "Champ Camps" (offered throughout the summer) will all include a week of intensive bike skills training. During a group's bike skills week, all campers will spend two hours each day for four days working on bike skills. Younger kids (grades K-2) will primarily follow a "learn to bike" curriculum, while older kids (grades 3-5) will learn effective braking, turning, signaling, and other essentials.
- The "Recreation & Nutrition" drop-in program (also all summer long) will include a week of intensive bike skills training for two of the three sites (low-income housing areas around Burlington). Participants will be bused to Leddy Park, where we will work with them on essential bike skills 90 minutes a day for four days. For more information about this program, contact
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at the Burlington Parks and Recreation Department.
- NEW THIS YEAR! Burlington Parks & Rec is offering a week-long Cycling Adventure Camp from August 15 to 19! Local Motion will lead two hours of bike skills drills and games every morning from Monday through Thursday, followed by counselor-led local bike rides and other activities. Then on Friday we'll head out to the Mad River Valley or Stowe for a bike path adventure! Sign up today for this exciting camp -- space is limited.
For detailed descriptions and schedules of Burlington camps, download the Spring/Summer Program Guide. The Champ Camp and the Recreation & Nutrition program are on page 15; the Cycling Adventure Camp is on page 18. To register for any of these camps, visit the Camp Sign-Up Page. Note that the camps are open to non-Burlington residents!
SHELBURNE
- NEW THIS YEAR! Shelburne Parks & Recreation is offering a Bike Skills Camp from July 11 to 14! The camp will run from 9 to 12 each day, with a combination of skills drills, bike games, and group rides each day. Space is limited, so sign up today! For a detailed description, visit the Parks & Recreation camp listings page. A registration form is available for download on the listings page. The camp is open to non-residents.
CHARLOTTE
- NEW THIS YEAR! The Charlotte is offering a Bike Skills Camp from August 8 through 11! The camp will run from 9 to 12 each day, focusing on building essential skills. On the last day, campers will head out on a guided bike ride on Charlotte's beautiful back roads. This fast-paced camp will give riders of all levels the skills they need to ride with increased confidence, control, and style. Space is limited, so sign up today! Registration information is available on Charlotte's camps page.
Local Motion's summer youth bike skills program is funded in part by a generous grant from the Vermont Health Foundation. Many thanks also to MVP Health Care, the exclusive corporate sponsor of our Bike Smart program for 2011. |
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 With grant support from VTrans and in partnership with Fletcher Allen Health Care, Local Motion launched a program in 2010 to give at least 400 kids essential bike handling skills and safety awareness. Our goal was to enhance children's independent mobility, increase their daily physical activity, and improve their health by making them more confident and competent cyclists.
We partnered with municipal parks and recreation departments -- including the Burlington Department of Parks and Recreation, Essex Junction Recreation and Parks, the South Burlington Recreation Department, and Winooski's Thrive Program -- to make the bike skills trainings happen. By the end of the summer, we had worked with over 500 kids, spending an average of almost four hours with each of them!
Here is what Dan Cahill, the Recreation Coordinator for Burlington's Department of Parks and Recreation, had to say about the program:
"Hands down, the "Bike Safety" activities were the most engaging and exciting of all the Champ Camp theme weeks all summer. This was directly related to the organization, flexibility, and knowledge of the Local Motion staff and volunteers. I received outstanding feedback from my staff and participating families, and coordinating and planning programming with Local Motion staff was enjoyable and easy."
Kids loved the trainings too. Many started hesitant, unsure of themselves and their abilities. By the end, almost every child was riding confidently, with big smiles and much-improved on-bike skills. As a result of our work, kids who formerly would have defaulted to pestering their mom for a ride or sitting in front of the TV instead will get out their bikes, strap on their helmets, and ride down the street with their friends.
This program never would have happened without support from a wide range of partners. In addition to VTrans (which funded the program via a Transportation Enhancement Grant) and Fletcher Allen Health Care (which managed the grant and supported us in many ways), we received help and donations (cash as well as in kind) from the following partners:
Many thanks to everyone! |
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VBT Active Vacations
