By: William Jones

In the middle of a crisp December morning, the playground at KIPP Woodson Park Academy erupted with cheers. Atlanta Falcons players, cheerleaders, and even Freddie Falcon had arrived, not to run drills or toss footballs, but to deliver something just as thrilling to a group of wide-eyed kindergarteners: their very first set of wheels.

Thanks to a new partnership between the Atlanta Falcons Youth Fund, American Family Insurance, and national nonprofit All Kids Bike, students across several Metro Atlanta elementary schools are receiving a different kind of holiday gift this year: balance, confidence, and the opportunity to experience freedom on two wheels.

A Program that Goes Beyond the Holidays

Through the Kindergarten PE Learn-to-Ride Program, All Kids Bike equips schools with a fleet of 24 balance-to-pedal Strider bikes, fully adjustable student helmets, an instructor bike with a pedal conversion kit, and rolling storage racks. But it doesn’t stop there. The program also includes teacher training and certification, a full curriculum, and access to a resource portal with live support — helping to maintain the impact well beyond the initial delivery.

“Increasing the time kids spend in physical activity is at the core of the Atlanta Falcons Youth Fund,” said Chris Millman, Senior Vice President of Community Engagement and Sports Philanthropy at AMB Sports and Entertainment. “We are thrilled to partner with American Family Insurance to support All Kids Bike’s mission and bring their programming to schools in metro Atlanta. We hope that when kids learn to ride through this program, they gain a sense of accomplishment, build confidence, and learn a skill they may use to remain active throughout their lives.”

This year, 11 elementary schools across Georgia were selected to receive the Learn-to-Ride Program: Allgood Elementary School, Brumby Elementary School, Burgess-Peterson Academy, Doraville United, Gray Elementary, Heritage Academy, Kay R. Pace Elementary School of the Arts, KIPP Woodson Park Academy, Lille E. Suder Elementary School, Main Street Academy, and Taylor Creek Elementary School.

The best part – this isn’t just a short-term program. The All Kids Bike program will be part of these schools’ Kindergarten PE curriculum for the next 10 years, providing thousands of children with the opportunity to learn to ride.

Photo Courtesy: All Kids Bike

Falcons Deliver the First Rides

The program’s local launch featured unforgettable “bike reveals,” where Falcons players, cheerleaders, and representatives of American Family Insurance surprised kindergarteners from Burgess-Peterson Academy and KIPP Woodson Park Academy.

For many of the students, it was their first-ever bike. The scene was pure magic. Falcons players helped students click their helmets into place, and ecstatic children erupted with joy as their little legs started to push off the gym floor. It was a celebration of what kids can achieve when community partners come together.

“Giving back to these kids was heartwarming to me,” said Falcons Cornerback C.J. Henderson. “Keeping these kids occupied in the right way, and keeping them active and fit at the same time, I think it may be great for the kids and the community.”

Photo Courtesy: All Kids Bike

Building Confidence Through Movement

Learning to ride a bike is more than a childhood rite of passage; it’s a key developmental moment. Riding builds motor skills, coordination, balance, and resilience. But perhaps its greatest value lies in what it does for a child’s self-esteem.

By starting with balance bikes, students are able to experience success at their own pace. Each push forward becomes a lesson in progress. With handlebars in hand and feet off the ground, they begin to discover what it feels like to move independently and start to believe in their ability to try something new.

Programs like All Kids Bike also help ensure that learning to ride isn’t a privilege reserved for families with means or space. The mission is to make riding a standard part of early education. Having this program as part of the kindergarten curriculum has also become a powerful way for communities to tackle absenteeism in schools. By introducing bikes in PE class, students are more likely to find school more engaging and look forward to class. The initiative also has a potential impact on students and communities as they progress through school. Teaching children at a young age how to ride a bike can help equip them with a reliable, low-cost transportation option that may assist in solving transportation gaps that impact school attendance.

A Gift That Keeps Giving

Though timed with the holiday season, this initiative is designed to last. With every school receiving permanent equipment, curriculum, and training, new classes of kindergarteners will learn to ride every year. The hope is that this creates a lasting ripple effect in each community.

All Kids Bike, supported by the Strider Education Foundation, is now active in over 1,700 schools across all 50 states, reaching more than 170,000 children annually. That number is expected to grow even more in 2026, thanks to partners like the Falcons and American Family Insurance.

For now, the streets of Atlanta are a little more joyful and a lot more balanced thanks to a program that builds confidence through motion.