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Special Advertising Section | Sunday, September 28, 2025 11NCW is hiring a bike education coordinator to teach alongside Bourke. She said this new hire is expected to start soon, providing additional support alongside her to ensure students receive hands-on guidance throughout the course.The program will meet twice a week for about seven weeks, with each session lasting around an hour and a half. Students will spend approximately 20 hours learning to assemble, maintain, and safely ride their own bikes.Each student will start with a brand-new mountain bike, helmet, lights and a bike log. They will build their bike from the box, learn basic repairs, bike safety and route planning before participating in group rides. At the end of the program, students keep the bikes they build.Because the program is purchasing 100 bikes, enrollment is capped at roughly 100 students, with plans to form groups of about 15 students at each participating school.The bikes and equipment are being purchased from Full Circle Cycles, a local bike shop in Wenatchee, supporting the initiative by providing parts at wholesale prices.Mona Lopez, outreach and special programs coordinator for CAFE, explained the organization%u2019s role in the partnership.%u201cEducation is the core piece,%u201d Lopez said. %u201cCAFE%u2019s mission is the advancement of family education, so teaching students to be self-sufficient by learning to fix and maintain their own bikes fits perfectly.%u201dLopez highlighted the importance of making the program accessible to diverse students.%u201cI think having us, that speak Spanish, to be able to offer that in Spanish or any translation services that the students may need,%u201d she said.Sharing a personal perspective, Lopez said she didn%u2019t see many kids riding bikes when she was growing up.%u201cFrom my own personal experience, having a bike wasn%u2019t very accessible,%u201d she said. %u201cWhen I first came out of our little bubble, little town, I started seeing people that would actually like, mountain bike and bike in the streets %u2026 that%u2019s not something you really see in the Hispanic community. So, being able to teach kids, and have it be taught by someone that looks like them, that%u2019s really important.%u201dWhile locations are still being finalized, Lopez said the first focus will be on Wenatchee High School. CAFE plans to provide transportation for students as needed.Lopez hopes the program will increase students%u2019 confidence and expand their sense of possibility.%u201cI hope they gain exposure to biking and the outdoors, and feel confident that it%u2019s not just an activity for one group of people. And of course, getting to keep the bike they build is really exciting,%u201d she said. At Bush, we believe a great education challenges you to develop your own great mind. Every day in every grade, students are introduced to new ideas, varied perspectives, and bold questions.Because when we nurture our students%u2019 innate curiosity and ambition, they become confident intellectual explorers ready to blaze new trails in college and beyond.Come explore the only K-12 independent school in Seattle and learn more about our community.Think Bush might be right for your child? Join us for an Open House this fall. Learn more and register at:bush.edu/admissions/eventsExperience EducationEducating Children with Curiosity and Kindness since 1982Apply at: SpruceStreetSchool.org/AdmissionsAPPLY NOW FOR THE 2026%u20132027 SCHOOL YEAR!Kindergarten through Fifth Grade