Vestal Elementary at Montavilla Community Center and Grout Elementary
For spring term ’26, the NWTA paired up again with the SUN Program and Portland Parks and Rec to offer a six-session series of afterschool programming for ten to twelve 3rd-5th graders at each school. Both programs have been limited to 10 kids, and both programs have a waitlist! Attendance is strong, with usually, if any, just one or two kids absent at each session.
The wait list at Grout was very long after the rave reviews from last year’s session. Thanks to two additional volunteers, we were able to open this year’s session to 12 kids!
Between the two sessions this term, three kids learned to ride for the first time. By the end of the session, all three were riding with confidence and having just as much fun as the rest of the group!
Early sessions involve basic biking and mountain biking skills as well as group riding etiquette and the rules of the road. At first, our rides stick to paved, grass, gravel, and dirt paths on the immediate grounds. The park next to Montavilla Community Center and Grout Elementary’s own sports field works perfectly for learning about hand brakes and shifting for many of the kids.
We venture out through the neighborhoods and neighborhood parks for more challenging terrain. The kids split themselves up into groups, usually one “Chill” group and one “Fast” group, and we let the kids choose their own challenges, including hills to climb and descend, play games, including Standing Challenges, Slow Races, and Timed Laps sessions. All the kids enjoy seeing their own times drop – it’s not really about who’s fastest (but it is fun bragging rights!).
Each session, each kid improves so much, and it’s great how supportive the kids are with each other. Amongst the Vestal kids, this session we had 4 or 5 kids who have attended at least one other session with us this past school year, with 2 or 3 the year before. And watching the improvements of these kids, session to session and year to year, has been impressive!