Katherine Dow knows firsthand what it’s like to have no bike but is hoping other youngsters in Elmwood won’t have to experience the same feeling.

Dow, along with a number of her classmates at Elmwood High School, are cur­rently taking part in Community Youth Cycling Leadership Education, or CYCLE.

The program offers participants an opportunity rebuild two bikes — one for themselves and another for someone else in the community.

"It feels good because we’re making a bike for a kid who doesn’t have one," said Dow, a Grade 8 student at the school, which houses both middle years and high school students. "I know how it feels, so it’s great to give this to a kid."

The program was conceived of by members of the River East Neigh­bour­hood Network’s In Motion Committee.

CYCLE is offered three times a week for eight weeks. The after-school program is currently in its second session.

Twelve students take part in each session, working in teams of two at six different work stations.

School officials say the program has received largely positive reviews from Elmwood students.

"The attendance for the first eight weeks was great," said teacher Chantelle Cotton. "Some students have never ridden a bike before, or never had one."

Grade 8 student Jason Amaya said the program will provide additional benefits down the road.

"We can use this in the future. If our bikes break, we’ll know what to do," he said.

Manitoba Conservation Minister Bill Blaikie visited the school last week as part of its Earth Week activities. He visited with CYCLE participants and took part in a presentation for students.

Manitoba Conservation was one of several funders for the program. It provided a grant of $8,640 for the project through its Waste Reduction and Pollution prevention Fund.

"I think it’s important to support it. We want to give support to the idea of bicycle use," Blaikie said. "It makes people aware of the benefits of riding a bike."

Dow can’t wait to take her new set of wheels out for a spin.

"I’ll definitely be riding more this year, since we did the work on the bikes," she said.

adrian.alleyne@canstarnews.com