Contests are very easy to set up. The person who wants to lead the contest simply registers personally on the site, creates a contest, and then creates classrooms. (others can help by serving as team(classroom) leaders). For each class print out registration instructions and hand a copy to each student on that team. Students simply go to the site and enter the access code for their team. Total time should take approximately 15 minutes for the contest and team leaders together.
Click on the "Start Contest" button on the right side of the home page. Follow through the steps of the contest wizard. If you do not know all the information when you first set up your contest, you can come back later to edit it.
Once the contest, team, and students have registered and the contest start date has been reached, everyone simply exercises and posts their exercise distances typically every other day. Each adult (those who supplied email addresses) will receive the Refrigerator Report twice per week. Teachers may create math lessons from always available contests graphs at any time.
BikeWithMe is a socially oriented company which has as its mission, providing a solution to society's inactivity crises. It makes money by selling optional items which can enhance school (and other) contests. BikeWithMe donates 10 percent of profits to relevant charitable causes.
Exercise! Families receive the "Refrigerator Report which displays on one page graphs and data for each member of the family. The report will also show graphs from any on-going school contests the family is enrolled within.
BikeWithMe belives PTA organizations are one of the best available conduits for spreading the word about becoming more active. The obesity (inactivity) crises is society-wide. PTA groups can help make the home environment healthier, a change many experts believe is essential to combatting obesity and inactivity.
PTA groups can try a test contest with as few as three families and then introduce the service to middle schools.
Everyone must recognize that patience is important when changing the behavior and activity levels of entire communities. Start with small contests. They will grow and become larger with each season. It has taken decades for us to reach the obesity crises we are now in. Reversing those trends will not happen overnight. And everyone must keep in mind, no one can be forced to adopt an active lifestyle. Each person must choose for him or her self to make changes.
All contest participants may click on the "Student Miles" button on the left side of the home page. Simply type in mileage into the calendar and click submit.
10. How can I invite a family member or friend? top
The easiest way to have family members become part of a family is to invite them. Click the "Family Center" button on the right side of the home page. On the next page, invite the person (see lower right) by typing in their email address, first name, and their role in the family. The invited person will receive an email containing a link. When that person clicks the link a personal account will be create and tied to your family. They will then be included in the Refrigerator Report.
Each contest has many graphs. To view graphs click the "View Contest Graphs" link on the upper right of the home page. On the next page, select a contest and click its "graph" button. A horizontal brown bar with numerous links for different graphs for that contest appears.
To make a math lesson of any graph, while viewing it, click the "Make a Math Lesson" button. On the next page, questions about the graph can be entered. Click "Preview Worksheet" to see the graph with your questions. Click print when satisfied.
BikeWithMe encourages all contest participants to continue exercising after a contest has finished and the winning team has been declared. Families will continue to receive their Refrigerator Report which will now have other types of graphs tailored for just for the family.
If a family is interested, it can set up its own "Extended Family Contest." Here households of related families can compete against one another in much the same way classrooms do within a school contest. Since relatives often live far away, experience has shown that contests run in this way help to pull families closer together despite the distance.
13. For contest/team administrative help and questions? top
An FAQ specifically for contest and team administrators is available.
