TULSA, Okla. — The USA BMX Foundation is offering a Summer Camp program that will not only teach students about the sport of cycling but enrich their minds through science, technology, engineering, art, and math.
Broken Arrow’s Vanguard Academy visited the BMX complex on Tuesday. The visit for the freshman class came as an educational opportunity in a non-traditional classroom setting.
“Part of our job as a foundation is to bring kids into the sport not just for racing but education of cycling, safe cycling, and then education around STEM,” Ray Hoyt, Executive Director of USA BMX Foundation, said.
He said BMX is more than just a sport. It’s also checking the boxes to meet STEM education standards.
“We do bike modeling programs around STEM,” Hoyt said. “Kids learn about rollout, and circumference of tires, and radius. We do a lot of equations and sessions around how a bike works and how to make it go faster.”
In addition, there is also a track modeling education program teaching kids the geo-sciences of the soil and how they compact to form the track.
“Kids really seem to be more invigorated about learning STEM when there's a physical activity to it,” Reese Hunley, an instructor at BAPS Vanguard Academy, said.”
The BA freshmen are also learning environmental sciences.
“The goal is to have fun and develop an appreciation and love of outdoor experiences, which is one of our big goals for this class,” Hundley said.
It was the group's first time to the track, and what they experienced during the school year is also offered as a summer camp for all 4th through 8th graders.
“What I've seen as a teacher is that I think a lot of students now are not getting out like I experienced as a child, and so really exposing them to really as many different things as possible,” Hundley said.
For instance, summer camps include interactions with a USA BMX Olympian, and taking field trips to Gathering Place and Greenwood Rising to learn about the city's history.
Campers will also learn how to assemble and maintain a bike as well. A perk to the camp is all who attend get some fun BMX swag as well as a one-year BMX membership.
If you're concerned your child doesn't have a bike or helmet, the foundation has loaners available for kids.
The price for the camp is $400 dollars for the weekly registration, but there are scholarships available to waive that fee. There is also an $80 daily fee if campers don’t want to do a full week. The camp runs June through August.
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