DENVER — They gather near Sloan's Lake every first and third Wednesday of the warmer months.
"We live very close to school, so we have no need for a bus," one student said.
It's called the Bike Bus. A group of students from Brown International Academy get together with parents and volunteers to ride to school.
Allen Cowgill organizes the rides.
"We started it a year ago on bike to school day," Cowgill said. "We thought it might be a one-time thing, but it was pretty popular. We’ve been doing it ever since."
The ride gives kids a chance to get in some exercise and move their bodies before getting to school for the day.
"There are tons of studies that show that kids who get exercise before school do better in the classroom," Cowgill said. "It helps children with ADHD and things like that perform better."
The group starts the morning with gratitude, thanking all of their friends for participating and the volunteers that help keep them safe. The group teaches the rules of the road and bicycle safety to young students to get them to school safely.
"Which side of the road do we ride on? Everybody point," said Cowgill. The students all pointed to the right side of the road.
"What do we do at stop signs?" Cowgill asked.
"Stop!" the students said.
It doesn't hurt to keep things fun when teaching children about safety.
"We're going to play the one foot down game," Cowgill said. "At every stop sign we're going to put one foot down. It's a fun game."
The group gathered near Stuart Street and West 25th Avenue to begin their ride to school.
"The long-term goal is that these kids will continue to ride in Junior High and High School and as adults," one volunteer named Gary said.
"As a former educator, I don't know anyone who thinks that kids are getting too much exercise these days," Gary said.
Confident bike riders starting from second grade and older are invited to join the ride. Kids in early childhood education, Kindergarten and first grade are welcome, but should have a parent join them.
Brown International Academy bike bus
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