Street roots
July 20, 2012
BTA ambassadors become roll models for young riders
BY MARGAUX MENNESSON
But fewer of the parents themselves were
interested in taking bike and pedestrian
“I want to have your job when I grow up.”
safety classes:
Are you (the parent) interested in taking
hen the Bicycle Transportation
bike/pedestrian safety classes?
Alliance’s Bike Safety Education
African 35% yes
instructors hear remarks like this
Asian 20% yes
from kids they’re teaching in Portland, it’s Slavic 2% yes
both rewarding and exciting. If we plan to
Latino 38% yes
meet the growing demand for bike safety
Fergason believes that developing a
programs in
workforce that is more attuned to
schools, we’ll
neighborhood experiences will help the bike
need to hire
safety program connect with new
more teaching
communities in several ways, from speaking
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staff to teach the
the same language over the phone to
curriculum - so
Bicycle
knowing when to plan biking and walking
we’re
glad
to
Transportation
events so they don’t interfere with church
hear
that
kids
or community activities.
Alliance
w'^ want our
The BTA started partnering with
jobs!
workforce development organizations a few
In fact, the
years ago, but until this year, the contract
BTA is looking specifically to hire new staff
with Portland Bureau of Transportation
just like these kids — or their older
required a certain amount of classroom
brothers, sisters, and neighbors — through a teaching experience for instructors to be
new workforce development program
hired. When the BTA renewed its contract
starting this fall. The BTA intends to hire
terms this year, Fergason created a revised
two new Assistant Ambassadors from the
staffing structure that included a new
same communities where the BTA is
position for Assistant Ambassadors.
teaching, said LeeAnne Fergason, education
Assistant Ambassadors will work 20-30
programs manager at the BTA.
hours per week, assisting full-time
“Our educators are very much role
instructors in classrooms receiving bike
models for those kids. Kids connect with
safety education. The curriculum consists of
young adults, especially if they are reflective
10 lessons, taught over the course of either
of the very neighborhoods that the kids are
five two-hour lessons (in one week) or 10
from. ”
one-hour lessons (in two weeks). The
The BTA teaches bike and pedestrian
Assistant Ambassadors will join instructors
safety to 5,000 students in Portland Public
for lessons six through 10, which includes
Schools. Twenty of the 48 Portland schools
time both in the classroom and on the
that receive the program have mostly non
street.
white student populations.
Most of the focus in these lessons is on
Fergason believes both students and their actual hands-on riding skills, such as
parents will appreciate having role models
learning right of way, practicing right and
from the community working alongside the
left turns, and keeping eyes on the road.
kids as Assistant Ambassadors. She points
The BTA has found that the most
to a study conducted last year by ENRICH
challenging lessons for students to master is
with IRCO found that immigrant
right-of-way and making left turns. Assistant
communities in East Portland schools
Ambassadors will provide assistance during
expressed support for having their kids
these critical skill-building sessions.
attend bike and pedestrian safety classes.
Fergason says this job would be a good fit
Are you interested in having your children for anybody who’s interested in working in
attend bike/pedestrian safety classes?
education or outdoor education. Applicants
African 76% yes
do not need to be great, professional
Asian 96% yes
bicyclists (we’ll teach safe riding skills) and
Slavic 50% yes
prior classroom experience isn’t required.
Latino 68% yes
Second language fluency is preferred,
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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especially in Spanish, Vietnamese, Somali,
Russian, and Cantonese, the most common
non-English languages spoken in Portland
Public Schools.
To recruit potential Assistant
Ambassadors, the BTA is partnering with
organizations like Portland Youth Builders
and Self Enhancement Inc. that prepare and
Canning jars &
equipment,
cookware, kitchen
tools & appliances
Organic cotton
sheets, towels,
& blankets
Natural Kitchen
& Home
Food dryers
2 1 0 6 SE Division
Books on meat-free
cooking, gardening
& sustainability
503-231-5175
m ira d o rc o m m u n ity s to re . com
M o n -S a t 10-6 • Sun 11-5
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Healthy Streetbeat is a
monthly column for
Street Roots written by
the Bicycle
Transportation
Alliance (BTA). Our
contributors are Rob
Sadowsky, executive
director, and Margaux
Mennesson,
communications
director.
■
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connect job seekers with employers. One of
the ways these organizations prepare
candidates for the job search is by practicing
mock interviews, with staff from hiring
organizations participating in the mock
interviews and posing actual questions used
in real interviews.
The BTA will be hiring two Assistant
Ambassadors for the fall season and two for
the spring season.
Fergason encourages readers to forward
the job announcement to people who may
be interested in applying. Job seekers can
apply through the BTA’s website at www.
btaoregon.org/assistantambassador. Contact
LeeAnne Fergason at leeanne@btaoregon.
org.
Assistant
♦
Ambassadors
teaching bike and
pedestrian safety
with children
P H O T O C O U R TE S Y OF
B IC Y C L E
T R A N S P O R T A T IO N
A L L IA N C E