Pedal Power is a program of the Renaissance Community Youth Bike Shop that incorporates science, engineering and technology into a curriculum focused on youth initiated environmental design and appropriate technology projects involving bicycles. The program will engage students to research, design, and construct their own DIY human-powered inventions.
We will work with Engineers Without Borders (EWB), a student group that works on environmental design and appropriate technology in international development, to develop our curriculum and instruct the class. Middle school students will spend the first part of the course learning about the basics of engineering, construction, design, energy, and technology. Then students will work in teams to design, and implement their own "Pedal Powered" invention. After student teams have constructed their machines, they will have the opportunity to display and show them off to the community at our spring event. In the future this program has many options for growth and development including participating in design contests, and entering projects into local events. If successful, this program has the opportunity to expand into new and exciting realms in design and engineering beyond Pedal Powered projects within the scope of appropriate technology such as home scale wind power, etc...