A three-day League of American Bicyclists (LAB) League Cycling Instructor (LCI) seminar will take place in Lexington this September. The workshop will focus on certifying bilingual cyclists from Lexington and across Kentucky. The program is funded by a Paula Nye Memorial Bicyclist and Pedestrian Education Grant from the Kentucky Bicycle and Bikeway Commission.
Benefits of the course include access to the League’s Smart Cycling curriculum and teaching materials. Newly-certified LCIs are empowered and equipped to teach courses that cover:
- Youth riding
- How to ride confidently and legally with other traffic
- How to share paths and trails
- Motorist education
- Bike handling and avoidance maneuvers, and
- Group riding.
LCIs are covered under the League’s general liability insurance.
Currently, there are 13 League Cycling Instructors in the Bluegrass region. There are nearly 7,000 nation-wide.
The LCI seminar will take place Sept. 22 – 24. Those interested in attending should register for the seminar by Saturday, Aug.26.
Prerequisites for the LCI training include:
- Completion of the Smart Cycling Complete class (free, online)
- Individual membership with the League of American Bicyclists ($45)
- LCI course registration ($500)
- Experience riding on roadways
- Confidence riding with others, and
- Basic knowledge about safe cycling and bike maintenance.
Ten scholarships are available to offset the cost of one-year of LAB membership and the LCI seminar registration. Scholarships are for bilingual individuals.
Bringing more bilingual bike educators to the Bluegrass community will help empower more people to safely go places by bike.
Each LCI seminar is facilitated by a League Cycling Coach. Letamarie Highsmith, who will teach the Lexington seminar, became an LCI prior to joining the New Haven Coalition for Active Transportation (NCAT) as a board member and instructor. As an LCI, she is able to share her love of cycling by teaching Learn to Ride, Smart Cycling and various cycling classes and topics to children and adults. So, becoming a League Cycling Coach was a natural next step.
The Lexington LCI workshop is being hosted by Lexington’s Department of Environmental Quality and Public Works, the Kentucky Association for Environmental Education and the Lexington Area Metropolitan Planning Organization.
To learn more, register, or apply for a scholarship, visit lexingtonky.gov/BikeWalk.
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