BVSD Celebrates Earth Day and Biking to School

Boulder Valley School District Celebrates Earth Day by Promoting Bicycling to School

10th Annual Bike to School Day to be held April 25


The Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) will hold its 10th annual Bike Week from April 23-27. Bike to School Day takes place Wednesday, April 25. Students, teachers and staff are encouraged to register and ride.


“Over the past ten years, we have always aligned Bike to School Day with Earth Day. ” said the district’s Safe Routes to School Coordinator, Landon Hilliard. “We like to get an early start in the spring by having our event in April, which inspires students and staff to bike and walk to school for the remainder of the school year, not only for the earth but for the fun of it, too.” Furthermore, the event presents an opportunity to promote safety awareness and education through Vision Zero, a City of Boulder initiative that has been introduced at three elementary schools in partnership with the school district.


The elementary school with the most registered students and staff will win a grand prize of a smoothie party donated by the BVSD School Food Project (SFP). The top secondary school will receive a chef demo and new recipe tasting event in their cafeteria. SFP staff will distribute apples and muffins the morning of Bike to School Day at several schools. BVSD Bike Week is also sponsored by Nite Ize, and Mirrycle, who are providing bicycle accessories to be handed out to students in support of biking to school. Full Cycle will offer bike tune-ups for students at select schools during BVSD Bike Week.

Schedule of the Week’s Events

Friday, April 20 Walk ‘n Roll Week Kick Off Assembly

Friday, April 20, 1:30-2:15 p.m.

 Heatherwood Elementary , 7750 Concord Drive, Boulder, CO 80301

 Walk ‘n Roll Week Kick Off Assembly featuring Cheri Felix, Boulder High School

Mountain Bike Team Coach, who will talk about inspiring students to keep bicycling after elementary school.  “Twice as many girls than boys leave sports by age 14 for various reasons, so I consider it part of my mission to help girls and boys see beyond the clothing, popularity and even academics as barometers of self worth,” says Cheri. Alex Hyde-Wright, Senior Transportation Planner – Boulder County Transportation Department, will also be present to announce exciting news that Heatherwood Elementary has been selected for a second Safe Routes to School infrastructure improvement grant, in the amount of $437,500, which will include a new, lighted crosswalk at the intersection of 75th Street and South Heatherwood Drive.


Wednesday, April 25 – BVSD Bike to School Day

Wednesday, April 25, various times in the morning before school.

The School Food Project (SFP) will be handing out apples and muffins to students

The SFP will be at the following schools:

Whittier Elementary (Vision Zero School): 7:30-8:00 a.m.

Mesa Elementary (Vision Zero School): 7:55-8:25 a.m.

Angevine Middle School (Nature Kids School): 9:15-9:45 a.m.

Ryan Elementary (Nature Kids School): 7:30-8:00 a.m.

Pioneer Elementary (Nature Kids School):  7:30-8:00 a.m.

Crest View Elementary: 7:20-7:50 a.m.

Heatherwood Elementary: 7:20-7:50 a.m.

Superior Elementary: 7:25-7:55 a.m.


Friday, April 27 – Bike Bonanza at Foothill Elementary

Friday, April 27, 3:00-4:30 p.m.

Foothill Elementary, 1001 Hawthorn Ave., Boulder, CO 80304

Foothills parents are organizing a Bike Bonanza including a bike rodeo course, a helmet fitting station staffed by Boulder Fire Rescue, bike decorating, bike wash and a bike tune-up tent staffed by Full Cycle bicycle shop.  Frances Raskar with the City of Boulder will be present to hand out bike lights to students as part of the Lighten UP Boulder safety campaign.


About the growth of cycling culture in the BVSD

Since the first Bike to School Day ten years ago, the culture of bicycling and walking to school in BVSD has flourished.

  • Since 2009, 5,000 students at 24 BVSD schools have received Bike Ed in their P.E. classes.

  • 27 schools within the district have received Safe Routes to School grants for infrastructure and encouragement totaling over $1M.

  • BVSD is the only district in the country with two schools, Bear Creek and Heatherwood, who have won James L. Oberstar awards for excellence in Safe Routes to School.

  • By the time the current BVSD bond program is complete, every school in the district will have improved and expanded bicycle parking.

  • Since 2009, High School Mountain Biking has exploded in the district with Boulder High winning six state championships and Fairview clinching the most recent title in 2017.


About Nature Kids grants by Thorne Nature Experience

We offer a continuum of pre-K to highschool, backyard to backcountry and family integrated environmental education and outdoor recreation programming for Lafayette youth and their families to increase access to nature. Programming will include classroom, afterschool, and field trip opportunities as well as summer opportunities that range from family programming to summer camps and employment opportunities. In total, Nature Kids/Jóvenes de la Naturaleza (NKJN) will deliver more than 46,000 nature experiences totaling in excess of 570,000 participant program hours from the summer of 2017 through the end of the 2022 school year, and hopefully beyond. The total value of this programming will exceed $5 million. In addition to programming, NKJN will invest millions of dollars in multiple capital construction projects on City of Lafayette Open Space and at Pioneer and Sanchez Elementary Schools that are designed to ensure all Lafayette youth live within a safe, 10-minute walk to a nature play space.


About the City of Boulder Vision Zero Initiative

Vision Zero is the goal of achieving zero fatalities and serious injuries from traffic collisions. At the heart of this goal is the idea that fatalities and serious injuries on city streets are unacceptable and preventable, and that all of us has a role in ensuring the number of collisions are reduced.


For more information, please go to the BVSD Bike Week website or contact Event Coordinator Amy Thompson at amy.thompson@bvsd.org.

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