Stacy Bullard, STEM coordinator for the school district, is working with Honda to get a grant that will eventually allow students here to build bikes and test them out on a track.She said the $25,000 grant application has been submitted with an announcement scheduled in February. The money will be used to purchase the heavy-duty BMX bicycles as well as GoPro cameras and safety equipment for the students.
When we started to work on the proposal, we found there was a big interest in this," she said.
"The kids will get a bicycle in a box and build a bike from box to bike." She explained students will get physics, math and engineering to build it then find out how motion and force work together.
The cameras will be worn by the students to record performances by their bikes and examine how they work on a computer. Bullard said there is a lot of local individuals and companies lined up to help with the project.
Cody Elkins, a motocross professional, will be helping to design the BMX track with construction of the actual track coming from the city.Engineering help will come through various engineers meeting with students via SKkype to go over their designs.
The program is initially planned for sixth through eighth grades.
Bullard said she has already started getting the contacts and information set up in the event the school receives the grant. Similar grants have been awarded to schools in Oregon and Indiana. If approved in February, the materials and bikes will be ordered in preparation for classes to start next fall.
Click here for video of the full BMX-STEM project discussion
