Specialized Bicycle Components donated 50 mountain bikes and helmets to Britton Middle School for use by students in a partnership between the two entities to help “bring real world data into the classroom.”
Each bike sits on a trainer and is equipped with Polar heart monitors. They are set up in front of a big screen allowing students to visually see their energy output and compete with each other. The partnership gives students access to another form of cardio training during PE classes and also will allow teachers to bring math concepts to life using the data.
The partnership has been a few years in the making, according to Britton Principal Chris Moore.
“Specialized has been great to work with, and we are excited to have their equipment on our campuses,” Moore said. “We look forward to integrating data and information that students will collect in PE, into core math classes to enhance real world math learning opportunities for all students.”
Specialized’s donation coupled with a $16,000 grant procured by Assistant Principal Kristan Prolo helped to complete the room allowing an entire class to participate at the same time.
“This combination has created a cutting edge PE and Math collaboration that no other school in the Valley can offer, public or private,” said Prolo stated during a Jan. 18 ribbon cutting ceremony. “I am incredibly grateful and lucky as an administrator to have a team of teachers in my PE department who could see this vision from the beginning and make it come to life.”
Specialized, known globally for their bikes and cycling gear, is locally headquartered here in Morgan Hill and its Specialized Foundation was key to the creation of the latest partnership. Their research focuses on the direct connection between cycling and academics.
