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Tuesday, June 6, 2017
On Saturday, June 3rd, YNDC participated in the Friends of the Mahoning River’s 6th Annual Riverfest by holding a Bike Rodeo at the B&O Station in downtown Youngstown.
A Bike Rodeo teaches youth the importance of wearing a helmet, how to be safe bicyclists, and provides a space to practice and develop safe biking skills. Parents were encouraged to sign in and received educational handouts on the proper way to fit a helmet, build skills, safety check a bike, and how to choose a bike based on the child’s height and age. Youth signed in, demonstrated putting on a helmet properly, and were able to practice biking on two obstacle courses. The first course focused on the child’s ability to start and stop the bicycle using the pedals without putting feet on the ground. The second obstacle course took the shape of a figure-eight and youth practiced scanning behind for objects, like cars, before making a turn. After demonstrating these skills, youth continued riding the course as volunteers discussed different bicycling scenarios and safe ways to navigate their neighborhoods. Youth and their families were able to address unsafe bicycling behaviors in a safe space. This event is part of the Safe Routes to School project, a collaboration between the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation and the City of Youngstown. The projects seeks to improve health and well-being by encouraging youth and their families to become physically active by providing safe, fun ways to walk and bike to school.