In 2021, the League of American Bicyclists partnered with Minnesota Platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Business, Quality Bicycle Products (QBP) to offer LCI Seminar Equity Scholarships for Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color (BIPOC) who want to become League Cycling Instructors (LCIs) and host LCI Seminars specifically for BIPOC in select communities in an effort to further our mission to build a more representative LCI network.
Given the inspiring number of people who want to become LCIs, and the many communities that could use more but don’t have the resources, the QBP-sponsored BIPOC LCI seminars continued into 2022 and were expanded nationwide. BikeMN’s 2021 BIPOC-led and focused LCI seminar certified 8 new bike education instructors in Minnesota! We love to see more bike educators joining our movement to build a safe and inclusive biking, walking, and rolling space for everyone! Nationwide, LCIs serve as educators, advocates, bike lawyers, club leaders, and on advisory boards.
This October, we’re excited to host our second BIPOC-led and focused LCI Seminar, in partnership with Quality Bicycle Products and the League of American Bicyclists! There is still time to enroll, and scholarships are available by emailing angela@bikemn.org. Like last year, this seminar will be taught by BikeMN friend, educator, and advocate, Neil Walker. Still not sure if this is the right training for you? Read on for an in-depth perspective into an LCI class, or check out 5 reasons to become an LCI.
The Class: Any experienced cyclist of any age can earn an LCI Certification. ‘Experienced’ doesn’t mean one has to have done bike racing; it means that a cyclist is experienced and comfortable riding in a variety of traffic conditions, with or without bike facilities, and is knowledgeable about the basic mechanical functioning of a bike. The certification process itself is very rigorous, and candidates who earn their certification should be justifiably proud. Candidates must first complete a nine-hour “Traffic Skills / Smart Cycling” class, which provides everyone with a baseline of the League’s Traffic Skills (or Smart Cycling) curriculum, as well as the skills and knowledge necessary to get into an LCI Certification Seminar. The Traffic Skills class includes a 30-question exam at the end, which candidates must pass with a score of 85% or higher to register for an LCI seminar. Once they have registered for an LCI Seminar, they receive the Traffic Skills / Smart Cycling Curriculum from the League, as well as seminar activities. They must complete and pass a 70-question assessment with a score of 85% or higher before the training seminar starts, which means reviewing the curriculum materials necessary to complete the assessment. BikeMN has been offering Traffic Skills seminars this season alongside LCI Seminars, and has already trained over 11 new certified bike education instructors! Our next session is on September 30th, and is required to begin the BIPOC-led and focused LCI Seminar on October 14-16.
The seminar is focused on teaching, not on cycling. Candidates prepare short individual and team teaching assignments to present to the group. With each teaching assignment, the candidate must provide constructive feedback on what went well with their teaching and areas to improve on for next time; and all the other candidates give that person feedback as well. The idea is to not just teach the curriculum but to be able to observe students and offer constructive coaching to help them become more confident cyclists. Most of the seminar is focused on teaching and giving feedback. Candidates must also teach eight on-bike skill drills (again giving themselves and other students constructive feedback). The seminar is structured so that the candidates not only learn effective teaching from the LCI Coach, but from each other. An LCI should come out of the training seminar prepared to teach cycling knowledge, skills, and techniques in a way that emphasizes instructor feedback and guidance while providing the maximum opportunities for students to practice.
Learn more about the second BIPOC-led and focused LCI Seminar offered in October. Full scholarships are available by emailing angela@bikemn.org. Check out photos from last year’s Seminar below!
