Clinton celebrates bike to school day

Clinton Elementary School celebrated Bike to School Day with all of their students on May 2nd. Bike to School Day is a national celebration held every year in May that promotes healthier habits, safety, and a cleaner environment for students and their families. This event is led by the National Center for Safe Routes to School and is implemented by local organizations.  Safe Kids Lincoln-Lancaster County (SKLLC), based out of the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department, is the local entity that has coordinated an event almost every year for over 20 years.  

Kylie Gokie, a public health educator with SKLLC, helped coordinate the activities for the day and was excited to be partnering with Clinton Elementary. “We pick a school to partner with every year to teach the importance of physical activity and why we need to keep our bodies active. And then if we are being active, how can we do that safely,” Gokie said.

Crosswalk safety station
Crosswalk safety station
Safety conversations with Lincoln Police Department
Safety conversations with Lincoln Police Department
Helment safety demonstration
Helment safety demonstration
Large profile vehicle station
Large profile vehicle station
Large profile vehicle station
Large profile vehicle station
Volunteers from Black Hills Energy, one of many partners supporting this event
Volunteers from Black Hills Energy, one of many partners supporting this event
Physical activity station
Physical activity station
Crosswalk safety station
Crosswalk safety station

All students were able to participate in the celebration on Tuesday as each classroom rotated through the 4 stations:

  • Large Profile Vehicle – Community partner, Black Hills Energy, brought several trucks to share with students the importance of safe behavior around large vehicles. Each student had the opportunity to sit inside a truck so they could experience the difficulties of seeing around the outside of the vehicle. 
  • Physical Activity Stations – Students discussed the importance of healthy activity and how walking or biking to school is a great way to get some more movement into their day.
  • Crosswalk Station – This station involved teaching students how to properly navigate a crosswalk and discussed other walking/biking safety tips such as proper clothing and supervision. Students got the opportunity to practice safety tips by using the crosswalk outside of Clinton. 
  • Brain Injury Prevention – This station focused on bike safety and the importance of wearing a helmet. Volunteers demonstrated each step for making sure a helmet is fitted and placed properly for protection. 

Principal Angee Luedtke was appreciative to have these engaging activities available for Clinton students. “I’m really excited for today, especially for the crosswalk safety station,”Luedtke said.

“The high profile vehicle was something kids really enjoyed interacting with and understanding from that perspective.”

“Last year, LTU put in a new crosswalk after some infrastructure changes in the area,” said Gokie. “So this is a great opportunity to showcase that new crosswalk and how to use it safely.” 

Community partners that supported this day of engaging activities include Black Hills Energy, Lincoln Police Department, YMCA, Lincoln Transportation and Utilities, Healthy Blue, and Partnership for Healthy Lincoln. 

Luedtke shared, “All of the kids and the adults have been having fun and these activities will help us have a safe summer too!”

Updated March 14, 2024