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Education & Resources

Education

One of the primary goals of the Walk n’ Roll program is to develop and provide safety curriculum to educate students in San José. The Walk n’ Roll team continues to update and gather resources for in person and distance learning. Some of the main education resources the program offers include:

Bike Rodeos

A bike rodeo is an after-school event for students to practice riding their bicycles and learn traffic safety skills. The term "bike rodeo" originated in the United States with Kiwanis clubs, who started by giving bicycle lectures and seminars. The more hands-on approach of the rodeos eventually became popular, and local Safe Routes to School Programs often run them today. Rodeos typically include a safety talk, bicycle and rider safety check, and a course that simulates real-world situations, such as traffic lights, stop signs, and pedestrians. Other skills taught include:

  • Hand signals: How to signal to drivers and other cyclists
  • Bike control: Stopping, starting, and turning
  • Traffic safety: Road signs, yielding, passing, and predicting traffic flow
  • Helmet fitting: Wearing a bike helmet
  • Scanning for traffic: Look in all directions
  • Entering the roadway: Maneuvering safely
  • Avoiding hazards: Balancing and braking

Rodeos can be fun and effective ways to involve parents, teachers, and community groups in helping young bikers learn safe habits. They can also help reinforce skills that may have been learned informally as a child but are especially important in today's more crowded roadways.

Please note that we do not teach students how to balance on a bike.

Event time: 1.5 hours
Materials: Open/Blacktop Space
Requirements: Bring your own bike and helmet, parent/guardian present
Season: Early Fall, Spring 
Location: Outdoor, Afterschool, *ask about our in-school session
Who: Elementary, Middle Schools

Safety Assemblies

Our safety assembly is an educational presentation aimed at promoting safe traveling behaviors among students. 

It includes guidance for safe walking and biking, basic traffic rules   and the importance of using crosswalks and wearing helmets. There are usually fun activities and demonstrations designed to help students remember the safety tips. The goal is to help students understand how to stay safe on their way to and from school.  

Explore your calendar for availability if you are interested in hosting the safety assemblies which focuses on walking and biking for the students. They typically run 30 minutes each, and we can break it up into two to three different presentations by grade with a small 5–10-minute break in between. We can run these assemblies anytime during the school year. All we need is a space, a microphone, and projector if possible.  The presentations are currently only available in English. 

Who: Elementary, Middle, High Schools
When: Year round
Materials: Projector, Microphone
Time: Roughly 30 min presentation
Location: Indoors or Outdoors 

National Safe Routes to School Activities & Resources

Video Modules & Activity Sheets

Virtual In-Class Safety Presentations

Resources

The Walk n’ Roll program strives to maintain updated information and resources to better develop safety materials for students in San José. Local and national resources help the team to seek best practices and ensure that the program is up to date. Available educational resources used to better promote walking and rolling include: