GEAR UP for STEAM

July 6, 2026 8:00 AM - July 30, 2026 3:30 PM

A Smart Cycling Youth class.

GEAR UP for STEAM

Learning Through Play. Powered by Bicycles. Inspired by Discovery.

GEAR UP for STEAM is a four-week immersive summer enrichment program that uses the bicycle as a powerful teaching tool to inspire curiosity, build confidence, and connect students to the world around them. Designed for students entering grades 6–9, the program combines Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) with bicycle education, leadership development, environmental stewardship, and real-world exploration.

Unlike a traditional summer camp, GEAR UP for STEAM transforms the bicycle into a mobile classroom. Every ride, challenge, and project is intentionally designed to help students develop critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication, and problem-solving skills while exploring their community in a fun, active, and engaging environment.

Program Structure

GEAR UP for STEAM is a four-week program featuring weekly themed learning sessions that progressively build students' knowledge, skills, and confidence.

Each week includes:

• Interactive STEAM lessons
• Hands-on bicycle mechanics
• Safe riding instruction based on Smart Cycling principles
• Community exploration rides
• Team-building activities
• Leadership development
• Environmental and sustainability projects
• Reflection and goal-setting activities

Students learn by doing—building, experimenting, riding, observing, creating, and solving real-world challenges.

What Students Will Experience

Throughout the program, participants will:

• Learn bicycle safety, handling skills, and the rules of the road.
• Explore bicycle mechanics and understand how bicycles function through hands-on activities.
• Investigate scientific concepts such as motion, force, energy, friction, balance, and aerodynamics.
• Apply engineering principles while repairing, adjusting, and evaluating bicycles.
• Use mathematics to calculate speed, distance, gear ratios, ride planning, and navigation.
• Express creativity through art, design challenges, and innovation projects.
• Discover environmental sustainability and how cycling contributes to healthier communities.
• Explore local neighborhoods, parks, and community resources through guided educational rides.
• Build confidence, resilience, teamwork, leadership, and effective communication skills.

Learning Through Adventure

Every ride becomes an opportunity for discovery. Students participate in educational bike rides that reinforce classroom concepts while strengthening navigation skills, situational awareness, observation, and decision-making. Along the way, they explore how transportation, engineering, public spaces, and environmental stewardship shape the communities in which they live.

More Than Riding a Bike

GEAR UP for STEAM develops lifelong skills that extend far beyond cycling. Students gain independence, responsibility, perseverance, and confidence while learning the importance of teamwork, healthy lifestyles, and community engagement. They are encouraged to think critically, ask questions, solve problems creatively, and become leaders both on and off the bicycle.

Program Highlights

• Four-week immersive summer experience
• Weekly themed learning sessions
• Daily hands-on STEAM activities
• Bicycle safety and Smart Cycling education
• Bicycle mechanics and maintenance
• Guided community exploration rides
• Leadership and team-building experiences
• Environmental education and sustainability projects
• Creative design and engineering challenges
• Physical activity that promotes lifelong health and wellness

Who Should Attend?

GEAR UP for STEAM is ideal for students entering grades 6–9 who already know how to ride a bicycle and are excited to learn through hands-on experiences, outdoor exploration, teamwork, and discovery.

By the end of the program, students leave with more than improved cycling skills—they gain greater confidence, stronger leadership abilities, practical STEAM knowledge, and a deeper appreciation for how bicycles can create healthier individuals, stronger communities, and a more sustainable future.