Marlette to add cycling curriculum through grant


Cycling coming to Marlette curriculum

(SANILAC COUNTY) – Marlette Community Schools are proud to announce that the school has been selected as a recipient of the 2019 Riding for Focus Grant from the Specialized Foundation out of Morgan Hill, CA. Marlette is proud to be one of 41 schools chosen across the United States and Canada, including only two in Michigan for the 2019-2020 school year. Jr./Sr. high school Principal Garnett Kohler said the district could not be more excited about this opportunity to get more kids on bikes and bring a cycling program to physical education classes.

The Riding for Focus program is a school-based program designed to provide schools with everything they need to get 6-8th grade students riding bikes as part of their Physical Education program. The grant values at over $36,000 and includes 36 bikes, safety equipment, physical education curriculum designed by Central Michigan University, and comprehensive teacher training in Morgan Hill, CA.

Riding for Focus provides a combination of cycling, fitness, and academic performance, all while instilling a lifelong passion for cycling for students who participate in the program. Additionally, the program explores and tracks how cycling can positively affect student learning, health, and well-being with a focus for those with learning differences such as ADHD.

Marlette student involvement will be providing data for the Specialized Foundation’s research conducted by Stanford Medical School. This research is a multi-year collaboration exploring how cycling programs can influence the brain and behavior. The program’s goal is to obtain measurable improvements in academic performance, fitness, and behavior from the participating students.

Why cycling and not other sports? Cycling is inclusive. Students are more able to be engaged, especially since there isn’t any sitting on the sidelines. It’s also one of the few forms of exercise that virtually any student can participate in, while also getting the cardio needed to positively influence brain function. More so, cycling is easy to learn, and it quickly builds up confidence in kids and gives them a sense of accomplishment.

Exploring the neighborhoods around school by bike, instills a sense of freedom and independence. Of course, riding also helps build lasting relationships between kids. School officials say a group develops camaraderie between the classmates and teachers, and this improves the dynamic of student-to-student and student-to-teacher relationships.

District leaders said a special thank you goes to Mrs. Krislene Kemp (Jr./Sr. High PE/Health teacher) and Mrs. Jamie Zuhlke (elementary PE teacher) for their diligent work in obtaining the grant. The bike program will be implemented into the district’s PE curriculum beginning with the 2019-2020 school year.