Blood, Sweat & Gears Cycling- based, College Student Service- Projects that Promoted Human Health, Community Development, and Tourism Andrew G. Bentley, PhD. Kat Catania Cecile Walsh Adventure Education Major Green Mountain College Poultney, Vermont USA 1
Presentation Trail Map Adventur e Education at Gr een Mountain College Notable cycling activities of the ADE major Student perspective of the course Fall 2017 se r vice - learning projects Strategies 2
Green Mountain College Small, liberal arts college, 1834 Sustainability mission focus 450 undergraduate students 24 major fields of study 3
Region Bucolic lakes r egion, west of Rutland Lake St. Catherine State Park Bomoseen State Park Taconic Range Delaware and Hudson Rail Trail 4
Region Sl ate Valley Trails Delaney Town Forest Endless Brook Trails Poultney River Rail Trail Gravel Ride Network In- progress trail project of ~15 miles 5
Adventure Education Major 40- credit academic major: Extension of parks, recreation, and leisure fields of study Outdoor recreation Experiential education Psychology Highlights: Human, Educational, Outdoor skills Outdoor leadership immersion semester Up to 50 days of field trips 6
Adventure Education Major Graduates around Vermont, New England, and the USA Colorado Parks and Wildlife Killington Ski Resort Jay Peak National Outdoor Leadership School Outdoor Gear Exchange Outward Bound Stowe Mountain Resort Summit Achievement Town of Killington Ver m ont Adaptive United States Air Force Morale, Welfare, and Recreation University of Bridgeport, Texas at Austin, University of Utah 7
Cycling as an Educational Medium Border to border, length of Vermont (Rt 100 to Rt 2, ~235 miles)* Cross Vermont Trail (~90 miles)* Green Mountain National Forest Backroad Cycle Tour (~172 miles)* Kingdom Trails* Kokopelli Trail Martha s Vineyar d Pine Hill Park* Slate Valley Trails* White Rim Trail *Vermont s cycling infratstructure has been foundational 8
Cycling as an Educational Medium Vehicle for human growth Planning Leadership Decision- making Group development Group facilitation 9
Cycling as an Educational Medium Community Engagement (Deep Lear ning) Slate Valley Trails: Trail design & building projects in the Town of Wells Rutland Recreation and Parks: Trail building and maintenance Freedom Machines: Meeting the needs of an underserved population 10
Student Experience 11
Why take the Course? We all go in with differ ent expectations of the course Biking for credits? Why not? Love of the outdoors, goes beyond people in the Adventure Education Major 12
Description of the Course Practical skills: Riding & trail building Theory: Understanding why we ride bikes & build trails the way we do What is sustainable? Transferable: Immediate use of new knowledge 13
Tell me and I for get. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn. - Benjamin Franklin 14
Course Assignments Readings Trail Solutions Webber P. (Ed.). (2004). Trail solutions: IMBA s Guide to building sweet singletrack. Boulder, CO: Johnson Printing. Managing Mountain Biking Webber P. (Ed.). (2007). Managing mountain biking: IMBA s guide to providing great riding. Denver, CO: Publication Printers Corp. Understanding the environmental and communal impacts of trails Quizzes 15
Course Assignments Turning riding theory into practice Go biking with friends Field Journals Detailed trail condition notes Map of ride Applied theory/skills from the readings. Selfies of all participants 16
Reflection: Now What? Effects of course Changes in behavior Social Networking Meeting people Finding new places to explore We had a ton of fun Made new friends in the class Cut my knee on the first day on bikes. More likely to use bike for general transportation 17
Recent Service Learning Projects Planning Project Slate Valley Trails- 65 h our s Trail building & maintenance Rutland Recreation & Parks- 70 h ou r s Freedom Machines Tim Johnson Bike Works 56- hours 18
Service Learning with Rutland Recreation & Parks Trail building and maintenance project Pine Hill Park Tool Identification & Proper Usage Safety Erosion & Conservation Management Skills Communication Skills 19
Service Learning with Johnson & Son Bikeworks Fr eedom Machine Pr oject Is a 501c(3) not- for- profit organization that provides free bicycles to people who are committed to recovering from their addiction to drugs or alcohol Gain new mechanical skills Fixing instead of replacing Contribute to healthier community Providing transportation Promoting independence 20
Service Learning with Slate Valley Trails Pr oject: Town of Wells, Lakeside Par k Per imeter Loop Planning Pr oject Familiarized with trail building theory Layout trail (pin flags) Record data points and create trail maps Attend InDesign tutorial Develop posters using Adobe Indesign Develop and deliver formal poster presentations to Slate Valley Trail Board Members 21
22
Strategies Alone we can do so little; Together we can do so much - Helen Keller 23
Strategies Descr ibe the benefits of ser vice- learning to students: Resume building Networking with local community members and leaders Connection to local resources Engagement opportunities in local health, wellness, and recreation activities Understanding the place around them 24
Strategies Students will need nurturing. They will work quickly. Maybe too quick! Burnout. Self- care. College students are people too! Safety, safety, safety Food is a great incentive! Water Weather conditions and PPE reminders 25
Strategies Quality instruction about the tasks Easily defined units of direction What we re doing, why were doing it, guiding concepts Ask the faculty or staff m em ber What do the students know about this project? Ask to see the syllabus, if there is one 26
Strategies Identification of key college/univer sity faculty and staff Parks, recreation, and leisure departments Outdoor trips programs Outing and cycling clubs Other suggestions? 27
Strategies Keep collabor ation in mind It s often possible for a faculty member to develop a service- learning project as part of a course assignment It should be a clearly stated course outcome or learning goal 28
Strategies Timing- calendar- questions to ask Resources Best time to approach- seed time needed Understanding course scheduling Class times needed for projects or occur beyong regular classes Questions to consider: Planning needed for transportation- how and who will move students and equipment Who will provide tools and equipment and who is responsible for maintenance? What relationships are already in place to support community engaged projects? 29
Summary 1. Cycling activities: a. Offer an excellent teaching and learning medium b. Vermont s cycling infrastructure supports educational programs c. Cycling related service- learning projects i. Enhance s access to the physical landscape - supports community & regional tourism ii. Promotes positive human health and wellness i. Physical fitness- exercise ii. A forum to bring together many types of community members 2. Identify key faculty or staff as early as possible 3. Consider by who and how students will be managed during the project 4. Consider linking the project to a specific course assignment or goal 5. Determine how to celebrate the achievements through social media, etc. 30
Questions, Answer s & Any Inappropriate Outbursts 31
Reference and Image credits (in order of presentation) https://www.slatevalleytrails.org/endless- brook- trails.html http://vermont.lostsoulsgenealogy.com/maps/1875.jpg https://www.slatevalleytrails.org/grnmap.html https://www.rutlandrec.com/pine- hill- park/ https://www.facebook.com/pg/freedommachinesny/about/?ref=page_internal https://photos.app.goo.gl/f8ouhev3fqhpvbbf1 Thanks, Pine Hill! 32
33