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Biking the Underground Railroad

TUESDAY, 28 JULY 2009
Submitted By: Sherwin Mapanoo

Missoula, Montana — This summer, eight Bronx Lab students will cycle a 280-mile stretch of the Underground Railroad Bicycle Route in Ohio. The Bronx Lab Underground Railroad Riders are part of the school’s unique, real-world-as-classroom initiative, "Health and History: Biking the Underground Railroad," aimed at marrying healthy living habits with learning history. The group's route and itinerary were developed with the Adventure Cycling Association. Adventure Cycling tour leader, Chuck Harmon, will head up the innovative bicycle adventure on the ground.

"This adventure will immerse these students in an extremely important chapter in our nation’s history, and in the joys and challenges of bicycle travel, bringing them face to face with their own physical potential and limitations. This is the kind of rich, hands-on educational experience we hope to create at Bronx Lab," said Michele Hoang, Bronx Lab teacher and co-leader of this year's trip.

During their nine-day Ohio tour, the students will bike from Milford to Oberlin, Ohio. They will visit Underground Railroad landmarks such as the Rankin House in Ripley, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center in Wilberforce, and many others, while pedaling their way to improved fitness. The students will also visit three college campuses: Central State University, Ohio Wesleyan University, and Oberlin College.

Ginny Sullivan, route coordinator for Adventure Cycling, added, "We hope that the physical experience of riding the route, combined with historical exploration, will be able to give these students a small sense of what it must have been like for freedom seekers as they fled north."

The eight students competed for their tour spots by participating in a rigorous application process within Bronx Lab and all of them have had to maintain outstanding behavior and academic performance during their preparation for the trip. Students have prepared by fund raising, attending classes on the history of the Underground Railroad, biking, and bicycle maintenance, as well as participating in physical training, including long, weekend rides.

Bicycles and helmets for this year's trip have been provided through a partnership with the Bronx-based organization, I Challenge Myself.

Bronx Lab School staff and students are available for comment and interviews. Please contact Michele Hoang at 718-696-3700 (Bronx Lab), 714-260-1494 (cell), or via email at michele.hoang@bronxlabschool.org.

For more information about the Bronx Lab Underground Railroad Riders and their August bicycle adventure, visit: www.blurr.us.

For more information about Bronx Lab School, visit: www.edline.net/pages/Bronx_Lab_School.

For more information about the Underground Railroad Bicycle Route, visit: www.adventurecycling.org/ugrr.

Source: www.outdoorindustry.org

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