TRUCKEE, Calif. —The Tahoe Expedition Academy (TEA) recently held a bicycle safety workshop in partnership with the California Highway Patrol—Truckee Area to help students better understand the dangers of bikers in the streets and to help make them safer, more alert riders.

Students in both the middle and high schools attended the workshop, during which Sargeant Eric Stricker and Officer DeMarcus Lack led a discussion about critical safety skills such as proper helmet usage and understanding road signs. In addition to being an essential part of TEA’s comprehensive emotional (EQ) and adventure quotient (AQ) academic programming (IQ), participation in the program was also mandatory for any students planning to ride their bicycles to and from school as part of their daily transportation.

“The Tahoe Expedition Academy’s academic philosophy is focused on creating a nurturing and empowering environment that fosters adventure and personal growth, but we emphasize that safety must always come first,” said David Maher, TEA head of school. “We encourage our students to engage with the environment and explore the world around them, and this workshop was just one way we teach our students the importance of navigating their adventures with care and responsibility. We are grateful to the California Highway Patrol for their partnership and guidance in offering this program and helping protect our students and community.”

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During the interactive workshop, officers detailed real-life scenarios that students may encounter when biking in the Truckee streets and helped showcase effective ways to mitigate risk. The officers also spoke with the students about the importance of wearing a helmet and shared stories from the field of times riders could have been saved if they wore a helmet. In the Spring, the California Highway Patrol will return to TEA’s Martis Valley campus to put students’ understanding of bike-safety to the test by setting up a road course so students can practice safe biking.

“Tahoe Expedition Academy has taken a proactive step in ensuring the safety of their students by organizing this workshop, and we applaud the school’s dedication to keeping children safe, both on and off campus,” said Sergeant Bryan Yops, California Highway Patrol – Truckee Area. “Biking is a great way for young people to stay active, and this event gives them the knowledge to do so safely. We thank them for welcoming us to speak with the students.”

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Throughout the year, TEA brings in community partners to meet with students and discuss a range of safety issues that coincide with its expedition-style of learning. This includes backpacking, camping, interaction with wildlife, climbing and several other focuses to give students the tools to expand their world adventures without compromising their safety. TEA also has expedition experts and guides on staff to help support students, which includes more than 48% percent of employees certified in Wilderness First Responder (WFR) training.

“Aside from the critical safety lessons, it is imperative for our students to build connections with organizations and leaders throughout the Truckee-Tahoe-Reno area so they have a full sense of their support systems,” said Chloe Levenson, M.S. Ed, LMSW, who is the dean of students at TEA and who organized the event alongside California Highway Patrol. “Our local sheriffs and police departments are essential to our student’s wellbeing, and we thank them for their ongoing support as we work to inspire our students to be powerful stewards and champions of the community.”

For more information about the Tahoe Expedition Academy, visit http://www.tahoeexpeditionacademy.org.