Orondo Students Earn New Bikes as Bike Education Expands Statewide
- 19 Orondo fifth graders are the first students to earn their own bicycles from Washington’s statewide bike education expansion being implemented by Cascade.
- We attended a joyous community celebration at Orondo Elementary where students, families, and educators celebrated the launch of Washington’s Earn-a-Bike initiative.
- Earn-a-Bike and Let’s Go Across the State are funded by the Climate Commitment Act.
Paul Tolmé
Maria Gomez was overjoyed when she learned that her son, Alex, had earned a new bicycle through the statewide bike education expansion that Cascade is bringing to schools across Washington.
“I’m really appreciative and thankful,” said Gomez, a mother of six, following a community celebration at Orondo Elementary and Middle School on March 15.
Alex, a fifth grader, was among the first 19 students to earn a bike through Washington’s School-Based Bicycle Safety Education Program, which teaches age-appropriate bike skills to kids from elementary through high school.
Cascade Bicycle Club is implementing the bike education curriculum in partnership with the Washington State Department of Transportation. The program has three pillars:
- In-school “Let’s Go” education for grades three to eight.
- After-school youth development programming for students in grades six to 12.
- An equity-focused Earn-a-Bike opportunity for youth to earn their own bicycle, lock, helmet, and lights.
The program prioritizes schools with the highest need, with a goal of improving public health, advancing equity, and furthering Washington’s climate goals by teaching youth the essential skills of walking, biking, and mass transit as primary forms of mobility. Funding comes from the state’s Climate Commitment Act.
A Happy Day in Orondo
Orondo is a small, rural community in unincorporated Douglas County, located along the Columbia River between Wenatchee and Chelan in the heart of Washington’s fruit growing region.
Last fall, Orondo Elementary and Middle School was among the first schools to receive the in-class Let’s Go–Across the State bike education curriculum, which is taught during physical education classes.
The Earn-a-Bike initiative ensures that students like Alex who learn bike skills in school can put their bicycling skills to work in their neighborhoods and integrate bikes into their lives.
On March 15, officials with Orondo Elementary and the North Central Educational Service District held a community gathering to celebrate the purchase of 19 bikes for the Orondo fifth graders who completed Let’s Go training last fall.
Students, families, and educators packed the bleachers in the school gymnasium, where 19 new bicycles were lined up for the students and their families to take home. The event was a joyous celebration and a major milestone as the state’s first Earn-a-Bike event.
Up to 700 youth statewide will earn their own bikes (and about 20 adaptive trikes) this year as part of the School-Based Bicycle Safety Education Program, which is serving 14 school districts in its first pilot school year. The Earn-a-Bike initiative:
- Benefits youth and families in communities with high Environmental Health Burdens.
- Includes adaptive cycling equipment for youth with disabilities.
- Supports economic growth by purchasing bikes through local shops and vendors when possible.
Bringing Bike Education to Children Statewide
In the 2023-2024 school year, Cascade has partnered with six large school districts to implement the Let’s Go curriculum: Spokane, Tacoma, Bellingham, Highline, Everett, and Vancouver.
To serve smaller school districts, we have partnered with the Association of Educational Service Districts to reach 14 school districts within the North Central Educational Service District 171 (home to Orondo), as well as the Northwest Educational Service District 189.
Next year and through 2038, the program will expand to include more schools–until an estimated 90 percent of all Washington students are receiving bike education and skills training.
This statewide expansion makes Washington a national leader in youth bike education, with the most comprehensive curriculum of any state in the nation.
The state Legislature created the School-Based Bicycle Safety Education Program as part of the Move Ahead Washington transportation package approved in 2022. Funding comes from the state’s Climate Commitment Act.
The Climate Commitment Act supports Washington’s climate action efforts by putting cap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, and improving public health. In 2023, the Climate Commitment Act raised $1.8 billion that is now being invested in programs that increase climate resiliency, funding alternative transportation programs, and helping Washington transition to a cleaner and greener economy.
“I just hope this program continues growing,” Maria Gomez said. “It shows kids how to ride a bike, it helps them get exercise, and it helps them feel free. I’m really happy about this program. I know it will help a lot of kids and put a smile on their faces.”
Learn More:
- Statewide School-Based Bicycle Safety and Education Program.
- Let’s Go–Across the State.
- After-school Statewide Youth Development, modeled on Cascade’s Major Taylor Project.
- Climate Commitment Act.
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