By Cassandra Polyzou
Published September 2026
Helmets on, kickstands up. This June, elementary students had a blast learning how to ride with confidence in the Cycling Smarts program, delivered by a team of instructors from Recycle Cycles. The pilot project is a partnership between the City of Waterloo, the Waterloo Region District School Board, Waterloo Catholic District School Board, Student Transportation Services of Waterloo Region, and The Working Centre, and is designed to empower students with new skills and knowledge on the road.
The pilot program is based on the curriculum developed and delivered by Cycling in the Future (CIFT) between 2014-2022. The Working Centre worked closely with the CIFT team to build on best practices and learn from their extensive experience providing school-based cycling training.
Cycling Smarts is more than a few days of riding. It is a thoughtful introduction to safe, confident urban cycling, designed to meet every student where they are. The curriculum blends classroom lessons with hands-on practice, from road safety rules to how to do a basic safety check on their bikes before they ride. Best of all, the program is offered at no cost to families and welcomes every student, including those with mobility needs and those who have never ridden a bike before.
The feedback from students and teachers was amazing! The sessions were engaging, and students walked away with a better understanding of a variety of topics including the rules of the road, navigating intersections and the importance of signaling their turns.
Recycle Cycles brought the curriculum to Grade 5 students at two schools, St. Nicholas Catholic Elementary School and Lincoln Heights Public School in Waterloo and is excited to run another session in a new school in the fall.
To learn more about the program, visit: stswr.ca
