Sustainable and Climate Resilient Schools Challenge
Scots eBikes Club Chosen as Standout Leader
The SCRS Challenge helps to identify community members who are leading change in their schools, and to recognize them for the impact they have on helping lead to a better, and more sustainable future. The Scots eBikes team is one of 20 standout leaders who were recognized for their work.
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The Carlmont High School Business Club (DECA) believes that one of the easiest, most impactful ways to achieve immediate climate action could be to change how students get to/from school. The club launched the Scots eBikes project in mid-April with the goal of providing access for up to 500 Carlmont students to a free or subsidized e-bike, achieving a mass change of behavior for up to 25% of Carlmont’s students. Their impact model suggests this could be one of the most effective climate action programs possible right now, better than electric vehicles or heating. If successful, such an e-bike program could have the potential as a blueprint for schools and cities across the country.
The Scots eBikes team has completed phase 1 of the project, validating key assumptions. They meet once a week virtually to discuss the business model, CO2 and congestion footprint, and conduct student/parent surveys. The team reached out to numerous e-bike manufacturers and e-bike sharing providers. One of these, Blix Bikes, conducted an e-bike tryout for the team and parents, allowing them to test out e-bikes in real-life Belmont conditions, discuss desired specifications, and experience the fun and superpowers of electric power.
The students gained a great deal of green business experience including understanding key aspects that drive impacts such as transportation behavior, mobility profiles during the day and through the year, and the costs involved. They conducted outreach to gather stakeholder opinions and connect with other clubs focused on climate action such as the Green Team. Club members learned about budgeting, team organization and communication in a virtual space, and vendor negotiations regarding pricing, features, delivery options, etc.
The next steps include working with potential partners like SMCOE, the Sierra Club, Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, San Carlos Bikes, Menlo Spark, the Woodside Beasts, and others to secure funding, plan for charging, maintenance, and safety issues. The team intends to meet at least once a week over the summer break to have subsidized e-bikes be available at the beginning of the next school year in August. By participating in the Scots e-Bikes team or choosing to ride one of our future subsidized e-bikes, students will learn the ability to go from idea to climate action and how to achieve mass sustainable behavior change, fast.
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To view the SCRS Challenge summary for the Scots eBikes project, click here.
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To view all of the Standout Leaders for this challenge, click here.
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