This fall, approximately 800 SJASD students from Grades 6 to 8 participated in the BEST program (Bike Education and Skills Training). BEST, the first multi- grade, multi-year bike education program of its kind in North America, gets students onto bikes and into cycling as a healthy lifestyle and transportation choice.

The program takes place over a two-week period and was launched by SJASD Phys Ed teachers during the pandemic as a way to get active while staying physically distant. Since then, BEST has taken off and helps spark a passion for cycling for students and staff alike.

J.J. Ross is SJASD's Physical Education and Health Education Coordinator. “One of our ultimate goals in Physical Education is to be able to provide students with a variety of experiences so that when they leave our care, they have something to pursue an active and healthy lifestyle. Cycling is one of the items on the menu," he says.  

​While many middle school students already know how to cycle, others do not and learned to ride this fall for the first time. BEST accommodates all abilities levels, from the beginner to the advanced rider. Skills taught include everything from the basics of riding a bike, to bike maintenance and repair, to the rules of the road. With the assistance of the Program Coordinator and school teachers, students learn hand signals, shoulder checking, lane positioning, and the responsibilities of the cyclist. 

BEST is possible thanks to a partnership between the school division and the Green Action Centre and Manitoba Public Insurance. SJASD's BEST Program Coordinator Carolyn Lamoureux has been crucial in the program's delivery, which includes program training for Physical Education teachers. Bikes and helmets are provided by the school division for all students to use during the program.