Project Bike Tech Holds First Annual Weekend Training and Strategy Session, Bolsters Present, Lays Groundwork for Future

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Aug 23, 2022, 14:51 ET

FRISCO, Colo., Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Project Bike Tech is hitting the ground running—or pedaling—in preparation for the new school year and beyond. In late July, PBT held a joint strategy session for the Board of Directors and the first of what will be an annual training seminar for both new and current teachers.

Project Bike Tech Teachers Present L to R Far Back Row Ryan U of Q, Paul Steiner Eagle Valley High School, L to R Back Row Berri Michell PBT Founder,Mike Lowe PBT Director of Operations, Chris Darling Kennett High School, Jason Foutz Holbrook High School, Josh Robinson University High School, Jeremiah Baskin Fruita High School, Robert Henderson Aztec High School, Jeff Donaldson U of Q. Kneeling L to R Brian Fisher PBT Deputy Director, Jack Linn Kearsley High School, Chad Kritz Harbor High School

Project Bike Tech Board of Directors and Staff L to R Mike Lowe PBT Director of Operations, Doug Nordmeyer Member of Board of Directors, Bill Best Member of Board of Directors, Mercedes Ross PBT Executive Director, Brian Fisher PBT Deputy Director, Channing Nuss Chairman of the Board, Berri Michel PBT Founder, Steve Watts PBT CFO and Southwest Regional Program Manager Virtual attendees Jean-Pierre Salgado Member of Board of Directors, Doug Emerson Member of Board of Directors

"I think everyone who attended the training really valued their time there and left prepared to tackle the new school year," said Mercedes Ross, Executive Director for Project Bike Tech. "It was a great opportunity for our veteran teachers to get a refresher and for our incoming teachers to immerse themselves in our methods and procedures. It was also a chance for our board members to fine-tune our strategies moving forward. Everyone enjoyed themselves for the three days we had together, and it allowed teachers and Project Bike Tech staff to create new and meaningful relationships with each other that will help teachers and staff for years to come."

This first-annual teacher workshop was held in Boulder, CO, and utilized the Boulder High School lab—Boulder High is an existing Project Bike Tech school. Instructors reviewed the revised Level-1 curriculum, received hands-on instruction related to teaching courses and had time to ask questions of industry experts and connect with fellow instructors.

"The goal is to help faculty prepare for the coming school year by providing training every summer to new teachers entering the program and current teachers looking to tackle the Level-2 curriculum moving forward," said Ms. Ross. "We owe a huge thank you to Jeff and Ryan from U of Q Institute, the Quality Bicycle Products training school for professional mechanics, for bringing their world-class training methods to our workshop's hands-on instruction period."

Project Bike Tech uses bicycles and bicycle mechanics as a conduit to teach core academics, enhance lives, create career opportunities and inspire new generations to be passionate about bikes. The only program of its kind in the country, Bike Tech in School is an accredited high school elective that teaches key academic concepts, provides a stepping-stone to a multitude of professional careers and fosters a lifelong engagement with the outdoor recreation industry. The second annual training weekend will be held in July of 2023.

ABOUT PROJECT BIKE TECH

Founded in 2007 in Santa Cruz, California, Project Bike Tech developed the UC-accredited college-and-career-ready class, Bike Tech in School, that uses bicycle mechanics as a conduit to teach Common CORE and STEM elements to high school students. Bike Tech in School is a college-and-career-ready class that teaches students the necessary skills to work as a professional bicycle mechanic and provides a stepping stone to a multitude of cycling industry careers. The PBT curriculum also incorporates employment preparation activities, including resume writing, interview tactics, portfolio building, and workplace safety. Project Bike Tech is a thriving program that has successfully impacted more than 3,000 high school students in Arizona, California, Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, Vermont and West Virginia.