MORGANTOWN — Morgantown is set to be the location of the Youth Cycling Coalition pilot program, an initiative created to integrate cycling into the everyday lives of youth.
“The physical and mental benefits of biking have been proven time and time again,” said Kat Andrus, YCC program manager. “For millions of kids in the U.S., access to bikes and safe places to ride is just not a reality.”
Andrus said Morgantown was the perfect place to launch the program because of the ability to partner with WVU, a need for biking opportunities in the area, resources in the area for outdoor recreation, and strong community support.
“We considered several communities across the country to host the pilot program, but the application we received from Morgantown was an obvious standout,” Andrus said.
YCC was founded to establish a partnership between 10 youth-cycling organizations. By combining the efforts of the nation’s leading youth-cycling organizations, YCC hopes to offer a variety of programs for youth of all ages.
Partners included in YCC are Free Bikes 4 Kidz, The League of American Bicyclists, Little Bellas, National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA), PeopleForBikes, Project Bike Tech, Safe Routes Partnership, Trips For Kids, USA BMX Foundation, and USA Cycling.
The pilot program will offer activities from cycling sports such as BMX, road biking and mountain biking, to cycling advocacy and educational opportunities. Along with recreational programming, the coalition also plans to offer elective courses in local schools.
One of these programs, Project Bike Tech, is a two-year, for-credit program for high school juniors and seniors. Students who complete the program receive a certification, which can assist them in finding career opportunities.
The program is also working with local partners, including Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative at WVU. OEDC’s mission includes a focus on STEM and outdoor education, as well as outdoor recreation and its economy.
“We saw an opportunity to partner with the YCC because our goals align,” said Greg Corio, assistant vice president for OEDC. “We both want to have a positive impact on youth through outdoor recreation, specifically in this case, biking.”
OEDC is working to build strategic partnerships within the community, and will provide support for the program through research and education.
Corio said by bringing YCC’s pilot program to the Morgantown community, it will give youth exposure to different types of outdoor sports. He said along with improving learning through physical activities, programs offered by YCC will also promote STEM education and positive youth development.
“This program will give more children the opportunity to be active and healthy and, hopefully, fall in love with the lifelong sport of cycling,” Corio said.
The coalition hopes to begin offering some programs in the summer, but Andrus said the official timeline depends on COVID-19 safety guidelines. Integration of programming into area schools is currently set to begin in the fall.
Active community members interested in taking lead on launching local programming are encouraged to reach out to the Coalition. Volunteers are also needed for nearly all programs. Those interested can reach out to Andrus via email at kat@peopleforbikes.org.
More information about YCC can be found on its website at youthcyclingcoalition.org
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