Local Motion has been providing the Kohl's Kids Trailer to our school for 4 years now. I'm excited to be able to offer my first-grade kids the thrill of learning to ride a bike. Their moments of joy are etched in my mind.
Here is the story of Andy. Andy was a happy-go-lucky kid who struggled with academics. He was slightly out of step with his classmates in many ways. But Andy was determined to learn to ride a bike. He had great balance and could coast long distances from the second day that the trailer was at our school. Andy had a hard time looking at anything but his feet as he pedaled. Soon he graduated from coasting on the flats to actually pedaling the bike. Still, Andy's eyes remained fixated on his pedals or his front wheel.
It was heartwarming to see how Andy was embraced by his classmates throughout the Bike Smart experience. Instead of being angry with Andy as he weaved and wobbled his way around the parking lot causing many near misses with his unsuspecting classmates, they made space for Andy and his bike. The cry became "watch out for Andy" and "let Andy go through first." In their own way, the first-grade class learned to flow and adapt and include a student that didn't "fit the mold" - a great lesson for 6-year-olds to learn.
Thanks, Local Motion!

Elaine Gordon
Westminster Afterschool & Summer Program Coordinator
October 2017