Tykes for Bikes

What is Tykes for Bikes?

Tykes for Bikes is the kids' bike education and safety component of The Phyo Nyi Nyi Kyaw Memorial Foundation. The PN2K Foundation plans to work with cycling advocates and their families with the goal of open discussion and collaborative efforts to make cycling and streets safer for all kids.

The program will be implemented in several phases:

Phase 1: Pilot program

Working with daycare programs at the MIT State Center
Run three separate bike workshops: (1) drawing bikes (2) taking polaroid face photos for the "Bike Safety & Me" kids book (3) Reading "Bike Safety & Me" with the group
Debriefing what went well/did not work well
Live studio recording of "What Does the Tanuki Say?" (PN2K's bike safety version of "What Does the Fox Say?")

Phase 2: Iteration & more pilot testing

Organize families with one or more parents who bike and have kids interested in biking
Open discussion with parents about their main concerns regarding kids biking
Discuss collaboratively with parents feasible plans that can help their kids be safer on the roads
Work with kids to discuss their interest in cycling
Understand kids' current levels of understanding and awareness about biking
Develop program that teaches kids to apply road rules & obtain necessary resources
Develop materials teaching parents and kids cycling health, mental, and environmental impacts

I have kids that want to bike! What should I do?

Are you a parent cycling with a kid in a booster seat or bike trailer? Does your child want to follow in your pedal tracks and start biking, too? Do you fear for their lives? If our work impacts your family and you have ideas for what you would like to see in our program to help make cycling safer for your family, let us know! We invite the community to help us develop our program. If we use your ideas, we will give you a free ticket to one of our Tykes for Bikes program. Mail us at pn2k-bikesafety-owner@mit.edu. Please include:

Your name
Your affiliation with MIT and any biking organizations
Your ideas

What can I do to help?

Do you have a passion for helping kids learn? Do you have a knack with children? Please mail pn2k-bikesafety-owner@mit.edu if you are interested in helping to shape our programs. Please include in your email:

Your name
Affiliation with MIT and any biking organizations
Graduation year (if applicable)
2-3 sentences on why you want to join
(Optional) Any prior experience you have working with children

Thanks!

We would like to express our gratitude to folks at the MIT Office of Government and Community Relations for funding and supporting the implementation of our pilot program and ideas!