Deborah Walter remembers one watershed moment when she knew the bicycle education program in her school district was working.

“I started hearing stories about our children asking for bicycles for Christmas instead of an Xbox or a PlayStation,” she said. “That’s huge.”

Walter serves as coordinator of Health, Physical Education and Wellness in the Rogers School District. Approximately 2,000 students, third through 12th grades, participate in the district’s bicycle education program.

“We are introducing biking to many students for the first time,” Walter said. “Many children have never learned to ride a bicycle because their families can’t afford to buy one. We want to remove those barriers and teach them a skill that will change their lifestyle.”

Success stories like this are echoed throughout districts in Northwest Arkansas. School districts in Fayetteville, Bentonville and Rogers have established bicycle education programs. The Springdale School District implemented its program during the current school year and has purchased more than 850 bikes.

“We are implementing our program right now and our students are super-excited about it,” said Stacy Dunavan, physical education instructor at J.B. Hunt Elementary School. “While not every child can play sports, most every able-bodied child can learn to ride a bike and that helps with their self-esteem and makes living a healthy lifestyle fun.”

Districts with schools that enjoy easy access to the Razorback Regional Greenway are incorporating the newly completed trail system into the curriculum. In Springdale, five schools, including J.B. Hunt Elementary are located directly adjacent to the trail.

“Our kids can’t wait to ride their bikes on the trail,” said Dunavan. “We have a beautiful lake behind our school that the trail goes around. It will enhance our opportunity to teach biking in a safe environment.”

The bicycles are used in connection with a bicycle education curriculum that focuses on teaching and improving bicycle skills, safety, general trail rules, and trail awareness. The Bicycle Coalition of the Ozarks has served as a consultant in curriculum development.

“When many adults were growing up, bicycles were common and riding was a natural thing,” said Walter. “Today, technology offers different entertainment choices and children don’t ride bicycles like they once did. We want to re-introduce biking into our culture and help develop new lifestyle fitness choices all at the same time.”

The Walton Family Foundation has invested more than $500,000 to purchase a total of 2,091 bicycles and associated equipment in the four school districts. More than 27,000 students participate in the program annually.