PORT ANGELES — A program has been started at Stevens Middle School to provide bicycle and safety education.
Physical education instructors Staci Poythress and Randy Steinman started the program last week.
In the middle of this month, it will move to Dry Creek Elementary, then rotate to Franklin and Roosevelt elementary schools before starting back up in the fall.
The programs are made possible through a $22,815 two-year grant given to the Port Angeles School District last year.
The Safe Routes to School Bike and Pedestrian Safety Education Program Grant funds bicycle and pedestrian safety education for students in the fifth through eighth grades.
It was received through a collaborative effort between the state Department of Transportation and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
It provides money for the purchase of bicycles, trailers, helmets and additional safety equipment.
It also funded professional development for physical education teachers teaching kindergarten through eighth grade.
Teachers spent two days with trainers from the Bicycle Alliance of Washington to hone their skills.
The safety program includes training, curriculum, educational materials, evaluation and instructional support.
The grant gives instructors the opportunity to increase students’ bicycling awareness in several areas: transportation choices, road skills and knowledge, safety issues, health benefits and basic bike mechanic and traffic laws.
The Safe Routes to School Bike and Pedestrian Safety Education Program grants were given to 25 school districts throughout the state.