Students share winning ride of their lives

An innovative school project to promote the city’s cycleway network has won international honours and high praise from Christchurch Deputy Mayor Andrew Turner.

The achievements of nine Selwyn House School students have been acknowledged by the Christchurch City Council with the presentation of special certificates.

Student innovators and their coach, Adele Staples, join Deputy Mayor Andrew Turner in the Council Chambers.

Cleo McLeod, Sophie Hodgson, Lucy Maynard, Miya Hartstonge, Reed McHugh, Alice Hunter, Bonnie Smith, Phoebe Donald and Kate Gourley – along with their teacher-coach Adele Staples – have shared their idea and Future Problem Solving (FPS) adventure with councillors this week.

The students used a laser cutter and 3-D printer to create bike cut-outs that could be decorated and hidden in places along the new cycle routes for cyclists to discover, encouraging families and youngsters to grab their bikes and hunt for the new shapes.

They plan to launch their #LetsBikeChristchurch project in October.

Cr Turner has congratulated the students for scooping third spot with their #LetsBikeChristchurch initiative at the FPS International Conference in La Crosse, Wisconsin, in the United States.

Competing in the Middle Division, their challenge was to find a community issue and deliver a creative solution.

“For a group of young people to come up with this wonderful idea to attract people to our cycleway network and then present the idea in a highly competitive environment is a truly impressive achievement,” he says.