Biking a Path to Good Nutrition
Returning for a third consecutive year, Nine13sports, a nonprofit organization that teaches students about the power of a bicycle, visited each middle school in Ripley County to engage students in the physical activity of riding a bike and provide instruction on healthy nutrition through their Kids Riding Bikes program. Over the course of a two week period, approximately 1,152 students from Ripley County schools were served.
Nine13sports’ Kids Riding Bikes program provided students with a bike riding experience via an interactive indoor bicycling simulator that utilizes technology to gamify the experience of riding a bicycle. Students were able to see real-time statistics showing data related to their speed, power output, distance, and time, while learning about the importance of good nutrition. Students categorized food into the five food groups and learned how difficult it can be to ride a bicycle when exposed to bad nutritional habits.
“Kids Riding Bikes is a unique way to incorporate physical activity and nutrition into the classroom while aligning educational components with Indiana Department of Education Academic Standards. Bringing this program back to Ripley County provides a fun experiential learning opportunity for these students to experience riding a bicycle without the worry of needing a large space,” stated Amelia Comer, Assistant Program Coordinator of Genesis: Pathways to Success. Comer further stated, “Best of all, the students had a fun time riding bikes while they learned about something as important as nutrition and the effect bad nutrition can have on your body.”
Genesis: Pathways to Success would like to thank Ripley County Schools for incorporating the Kids Riding Bikes program into their classes and Nine13sports for implementing their programming in Ripley County again this spring. Kids Riding Bikes visited Batesville Middle School, Jac-Cen-Del Jr./Sr. High School, Milan Middle School, South Ripley Junior High School, St. Louis Catholic School, and St. Nicholas Catholic School. Kids Riding Bikes will return to Ripley County again in the spring of 2024.
