CREATE, Inc. and the Baldwin County School District partnered to bring the cycling program Riding for Focus (R4F) to Oak Hill Middle School.
“CREATE Inc., provides innovative responses to generational barriers. One of the issues found in the rural south is the struggle with obesity and other physical ailments. People are not being as physically active as they should, so programs like Riding for Focus are creative ways to combat these issues and promote physical activity amongst our youth,” Toyia Barnes, program director for CREATE Inc.
The Center for Recreation Education Arts Technology and Enterprise (CREATE) is a nonprofit organization that provides programs to vulnerable and underserved populations within Middle Georgia.
CREATE, Inc. was originally called Campus Club Milledgeville and had a core focus on arts-based education. However, in 2010, the organization decided to expand into music and recreation programs and established itself as a separate nonprofit.
“As part of our recreation component we are a part of a movement that works to improve the opportunities for children to succeed and thrive in the sport of cycling,” said Barnes. “Riding for Focus is another program we are offering that aligns with this movement.”
CREATE received a grant from Outride, a national, nonprofit organization that promotes cycling, to offer the program Riding for Focus (R4F). Beginning March 6, and continuing for six weeks, OHMS students in physical education classes met daily with CREATE coaches to learn safe bike handling skills, leadership, and bike maintenance.
CREATE also extended R4F to GCSU’s YES after-school program.
“We want to teach students to get outside and experience outdoor activities. By encouraging this and promoting programs like R4F, we are increasing their physical strength and activity levels,” said Barnes.
“And another aspect is teaching them to simply enjoy the outdoors and how to be active outside while also being safe.”
R4F provides the schools with everything they need to get students riding bikes including helmets, curriculum, teacher training and a fleet of bikes. Local store,Oconee Outfitters, assembled the specialized bike fleet and CREATE provided the cycling coaches to teach from the 12-lesson curriculum.
Lessons through R4F have the goal to improve teamwork, critical-thinking and physical skills. Within the curriculum, students learn about bike safety on and off the road, bike maintenance, biking as a community and team, and the importance of being outside and exercising.
“We are teaching them critical thinking and problem-solving related to bike maintenance, bike safety, and when riding with others,” said Barnes.
“We had one individual who started the program very quiet and hesitant and now she is the loudest one in her group. Beyond the core curriculum, students are learning to be confident, what to check before riding their bikes, and learning the signals and commands that will keep them, their fellow riders, and others in their environment safe while riding.”
The Riding for Focus program has served over 225 middle schools nationwide. According to a press release from CREATE some of the applied research findings included the following:
• Positiveeffectsranging from increased student motivation to improved self-esteem and focus in their students
• Newkidsriding.On average, 10-20% of students at a school do not know how to ride a bike. However, by the end of the Riding for Focus program, students who did not know how to ride felt confident riding.
• Studentslovethe program. Eighty-seven percent of students report having fun in Riding for Focus, even those who typically do not like school or PE.
• Heart-rate tracking indicates students can reach half their daily activity levels in a 50–60 minute Riding for Focus class.
“Riding for Focus is such a great program because it doesn’t just introduce cycling to the students but also teaches them to be aware of their surroundings. It builds on essential skills that can be used in their everyday life off the bike,” said Barnes.
“They are using so many different components of their brain while exercising so that combination helps the students more.”
By providing R4F through their recreational component, CREATE, Inc. hopes to encourage students to get outside and exercise more.
Allowing students an active, fun way to learn about the benefits of exercise and being outside, encourages students to be more physically active each day. These activities also teach focus, teamwork, and multi-tasking through critical thinking and problem-solving components in the curriculum.
“It warms my heart seeing the students’ excitement to learn and their love for cycling. We are excited to give each of these students this opportunity and the program is excelling,” said Barnes.
If students would like to continue cycling, CREATE offers an out-ofschool cycling program.
Visit createwithus.org to learn more about this program and register.