Dexter High School's Peer-to-Peer Program Riding High with New Adaptive Bike

Dexter High School’s Peer-to-Peer Program received some stylish new wheels courtesy of local Mitten Fitness gym owner Colby Buswell and members. Buswell presented the custom-built adaptive bike to the class in the high school gym on Thursday, September 28th.

DHS Special Education Teacher Kalli Nowitzke was on hand with students to receive the donation and explained the Peer-to-Peer Program. “The Peer-to-Peer Program is where students in our general education population are paired up with students with higher needs. They learn about their learning differences as well as just general learning differences. We also go to other buildings and learn about learning differences at different levels.”

Everyone got a chance to try out the new set of wheels.

Eric Williams, Health and Fitness Instructor at DHS, had the idea of getting a custom-built adaptive bike for the school’s Peer-to-Peer Program. The bike is a tricycle with recumbent seats side-by-side for students in the program to share a ride with their peers.

Williams presented the idea to Mitten Fitness owner Colby Buswell, who immediately jumped on the idea. Buswell presented it as a fundraiser to gym members.

“The gym and some other people who heard of the fundraiser, raised $1,900 for the bike,” says Buswell. “The gym put up $400 for shipping. We ordered it in April. It was built over the summer, and here it is.”

“It just seemed like a great cause,” continues Buswell. “It’s not just a bike but a bit of freedom for anyone, whatever their abilities. It gives them the chance to ride a bike and move. Greater inclusion is ultimately the goal of getting this bike.”

“A lot of our goal in Peer-to-Peer is to create an inclusive community,” added Nowitzke.

Mitten Fitness Gym owner Colby Buswell with the custom built adaptive bike his gym raised money to purchase.

Nowitzke explains how the specialized bike will be used. “For every class, we have a sensory break for our students. They’ll take a ten-minute break. With the bike, they’ll be able to ride for a few minutes with their peers. We’ll also do this during our other peer classes for longer periods of time, where we do some adaptive fitness classes with peers and students.”

The specialized bike fits nicely into the group’s overall objectives for adaptive fitness. Nowitzke is scheduled to soon meet with the UofM Adaptive Fitness Program Coordinator to learn about their program. Dexter’s program is working on getting its instructors certified through Unified Sports, also known as the Special Olympics.

“We have a lot that we’re continuing to develop to try and get good programming,” says Nowitzke. “And the bike helps.”

Photos by Doug Marrin