Bicycle Safety Education Volunteer Expectations
School District Requirements
Salem-Keizer Public Schools requires all volunteers working in schools to complete a volunteer background check. The district prefers you to submit your background check online, but you can also submit a hardcopy with a 2-3 week waiting period.
The SKPS Volunteer Handbook can be found HERE
Fostering a positive environment and encouraging good interactions
We want our Bicycle Safety students to feel safe and supported as they navigate learning how to ride a bike. Our volunteers play a crucial role in our program and we could not do it without you! Be sure to treat the students with kindness and care. Encourage kids with positive reinforcement and push them to keep trying.
Lifting and Moving Bikes
We have 73 bikes that we unload each morning and put away at the end of the day. We have multiple sizes of bikes with our largest being roughly 30 pounds. The bikes get lifted and hung on wall hooks but we prefer to have only Safe Routes employees lift the bikes. Volunteers can help by rolling bikes into the gym.
Volunteers role
Helmet Fitting Day
On our first day at a new school, the class time is dedicated to fitting all the students with helmets. Each P.E. teacher might have it done a little differently but the overall process is the same. We will have bags of helmets organized by size. Multiple volunteers will create lines and take students one at a time to fit them with a helmet.
Beginning of class
Assist in moving bikes into the gym. We will have an organization system in the gym on where to put the different sized bikes. We also may need to take pedals on or off prior to classes starting.
Before each class period starts we lay out the helmets on the floor of the gym according to how the P.E. teachers have set up their classes. If there are two classes at one time, the gym will be split and we lay the helmets out accordingly on each side.
During classes
Our role is to support the PE teachers, we need to stand to the side or back of the gym during instruction. Making sure we are not a distraction for students while they are paying attention to the teacher. Once the students have grabbed their helmets, we like volunteers to go around and check that they are fitted correctly.
When the students grab their bikes, we want to make sure their tires, brakes, and gears are functioning correctly. The students may need help adjusting their bicycle seats. Tools are provided for any needed maintenance.
The P.E. teachers will take the lead in designing the activities for the students. Our job is to assist the students who need the extra help and guide them through the activities.
End of class