The troop, made up of Brunner fifth graders and Nettingham sixth graders, chose the project after discussing ways to improve their community. Members researched bicycle safety, then scripted, filmed and edited three educational videos covering helmet safety, hand signals and the “2222” checklist: two wheels on the ground, two feet on the pedals, two hands on the handlebars and two fingers on the hand brakes.
The Scouts put their knowledge into practice at Fanwood’s Toss the Training Wheels event on May 31, helping with helmet checks and sharing posters, handouts and ice pops.
Over the summer, the troop created and donated a Bike Safety Early Literacy Kit to the Scotch Plains Public Library’s children’s department. Available to borrow, the kit includes fiction and nonfiction books, games and activities selected by the Scouts. The troop also donated bicycle safety books to the Fanwood Memorial Library’s children’s department.
To make their work accessible to more families, members created a website featuring their videos, book read-alouds and additional resources for preschool and elementary-age children.
Explore the troop’s bicycle safety resources at sites.google.com/view/take-action-troop40641/home.