Youth en Route: Telling our story
The simple freedom of a bike
How often do you see a teen riding a bike around Calgary?
Although a fun activity for elementary students, the number of cycling youth drops as students move into middle school and by Grade 10, only a handful of students ride to our largest high schools. Several factors play into this: many schools don’t have secure bike racks, students lack information on how to lock securely and funds to purchase a good U-Lock. Youth, many who have only seen their city from the seat of a car, don’t know the safest routes to travel or have the confidence and skills to cycle on paths and roads. The simple freedom of getting on a bike to get places is not available to many youth in Calgary. This is why Laura Shutiak created Youth en Route in 2021.
“We’re here because we know kids don’t have enough resources to access a bike or the skills to safely ride one,” says Laura. “This is our solution to empower youth in Calgary.”
Healthy and empowering
Why does active travel for youth matter? Because a bicycle means independence, choice, and freedom; it improves physical and mental health; and it means fun and builds community, all incorporated into getting where you want to be.
Our mission is to empower youth to become strong and resilient through the freedom of using active transportation to reach everyday destinations.
Laura has pushed her vision of Youth en Route into a reality, now working with 13 schools (and counting) across Calgary to empower youth to choose active travel.
Breaking barriers
Through our Cyclist in Residence Program, Youth en Route works in local schools to empower youth, teaching cycling skills, bicycle repair, and safety in PE, outdoor education and other classes. If you’ve worked with us before, you’ve likely met Stuart, one of our resident cyclists. Born and raised in Calgary, and a Forest Lawn High School alumni, Stuart gets students rolling in the field, a parking lot or community route. Youth en Route delivers programs to enhance curriculum – comparable to swimming lessons. We even provide adaptive bikes, ensuring our program is inclusive of all riders!
Our goal is to transform transportation culture for youth so that active travel becomes a preference for young Calgarians. Our vision is for youth to have a sense of agency gained through using active travel to get to where they are going.
We advocate for safe routes and engage with community members to support infrastructure changes to improve sidewalks, crossings and 5A (Always Available for All Ages and Abilities) routes. We also commit to making bicycles part of a robust circular economy in our city, where old bikes find new homes, all bikes are ethically recycled, and materials are repurposed. We support schools and school boards to design and provide better bike racks and locks for schools.
Setting the direction
Youth en Route is all about empowering youth, which is why we want youth to set our direction as we move forward. We have created a new Youth Advisory Council, open to students in Grades 8 to 12 who can help set our priorities as we empower active travel in Calgary. Check out our socials and scan the QR code to submit an application by June 14.
Support our work!
Youth en Route welcomes new partners to work together with on shared infrastructure, ideas, and equipment to make our funds go further. We know that working together means success for all.
Sign up your school, support us through donations, contact us directly, or follow us on our socials. We want to hear from you!
