The students of Takhini Elementary School gathered in the gym for a special assembly on Monday. While they were sitting on the floor, it was announced that their school was one of 41 schools from the U.S. and Canada to be chosen for the 2019-2020 Riding for Focus school program an initiative put in place by The Specialized Foundation.

The celebration was on. Staff members rode into the gym on while "Bicycle Race" by Queen played through the sound system, the students laughed, cheered and clapped.

The festivities continued, as everyone in the gym students and teachers alike, sang along to "We are the Champions" while waving their arms in the air.

With the addition of the 41 new schools, The Specialized Foundation will now support more than 33,000 new students next year, across 45 states and Canada. The program integrates cycling into the physical education curriculum as a means to help students achieve academic, health, and social success.

Amanda Bartle is the Grades 5/6 teacher at Takhini Elementary and program champion, she helped put in the application to be considered for the Riding for Focus program. She spoke about what it will mean to Takhini Elementary.

"It means we are getting 27 Specialized (the brand) bikes for maybe the middle school range of students," said Bartle, "as well as helmets, tools, kits to help build, and a full curriculum to help implement the program to our students over the next few years."

The Specialized Foundation was founded by Mike Sinyard,, who has ADHD. He found that cycling helped him focus. According to the Specialized Foundation website, one in nine schoolchildren are being diagnosed with ADHD and the foundation exists today to tackle this issue.

Lisa Evans, the vice-principal of Takhini Elementary, said Bartle and herself will be travelling to California to get fully immersed in the details of the program, which has a basis in scientific research.

"The program is research-based," said Evans. "We are committed for two years to collect data from the implementation of the program. We don't have specifics yet because that is part of the next stage of what we are going to be doing.

"We will be collecting data. The kids will, certain classes will be using the bikes daily, I imagine, for specific times."

"It is a combination of cycling, fitness, academic performance, taking all of that research and activity and translating that into a better program for the students," added Bartle.

The Specialized Foundation's website said the program looks to focus on two key areas. The first being:

"Primary scientific research and school-based cycling programs. The aim is to increase accessibility to cycling through both fun and sustainable school cycling programs."

And the second:

"Through these programs—along with the research—we're advancing the understanding of how riding bikes can help improve the social, emotional, and physical well-being of children, with a particular focus on those with learning differences like ADHD."

As part of the application process, along with the standard yes or no questions and essay questions, the school was asked to make a three-minute video to give the decision-makers a sense of the culture of Takhini Elementary.

In the video, students were interviewed about their love for cycling, and Bartle said the attitudes of those interviewees was reflective of the rest of the student body's excitement. Bartle said some students have not had the opportunity to cycle at school.

"Not a lot of them have been able to cycle at school," said Bartle. "Personally, I've taken my class out for one ride, two rides maybe; it’s quite an event, a lot of planning. We have a number of students who are moving through the territory or are new to the territory and don't have bikes yet. So it becomes a challenge not having enough bikes for students.

"We had three students who did not know how to ride a bike in Grade 5 and 6 this year and they are learning and they are excited to continue. There is a lot of excitement, especially among the intermediates."

When they learned they had won, Bartle said, they were celebrating and clicking their heels through the hallways.

"It was quite an amazing feeling," said Evans. "I think it speaks to the fact that we were one of only three Canadian schools."

The other Canadian schools chosen were G.C. Huston Public School in Southhampton, Ont., and Eliza Van Bibber School in Pelly Crossing.

Bartle said it was great that they were awarded the program, along with another school from the Yukon.

"It's extremely cool," said Bartle. "I am excited to talk with their program champions to see how we can co-ordinate working a little bit together and a little bit of an exchange between our two communities."