Eduard and Alex
When asked what he’s learning in Bike Safety Club, Woodmere Elementary School participant Eduard excitedly begins his list, “Hand signals, stopping, turns, riding on the street…” His best friend Alex interjects, “And riding to parks!” After showing them how to use the quick-release mechanism on their brakes, their program leader heard them excitedly discuss the discovery in Russian, then go around the circle helping their peers figure it out.
Alex and Eduard have been friends since kindergarten. They plan on using the bikes they’re earning to commute to Sellwood Middle School when they start there next year. As Woodmere’s after-school program coordinator Diane Selden states, “The club has helped to increase many students’ self-esteem as they learn so many new things and successfully ride long distances. They have a way to get to school, even when a parent is sick or they have missed the bus. They learn a sense of independence. They get to experience places in our community they have not seen before.”
They’ve also had a lot of fun! Check out some pictures from a day in the life of Woodmere’s Bike Safety Club and see Eduard and Alex in action below.