Bike to School - Partnership project

22 Bike to school, un projet à portée de roues

Biketoschool.fr Bike to School, un projet à portée de roues

www.biketoschool.fr

www.biketoschool.fr

Anne SALAÜN and Benjamin STOLL, from oikos Reims

[email protected]

September 2010

Bike to School

Un projet à portée de roues

mailto:[email protected]

Biketoschool.fr Bike to school, un projet à portée de roues

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Preface

This dossier would like to present the project « Bike to School », backed by the association oikos Reims.

Oikos international was created by a group of students of the Swiss universtiy of St Gallen in 1987. In 2010, oikos is now composed of 20 branches in 16 different countries. The association’s members organise workshops, conferences and multiple events, designed to integrate environmental and social issues in lectures on management and economics given in their universities.

These students are then combining their personal values with economic reality in their education.

Thanks to the project “Bike to School”, Oikos Reims wants to mesure the sensitivity of future generations toward these sustainable trends. Because of its wide reach, « Bike to School » mobilises the whole oikos Reims team while benefiting from thessets of the international network.


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Table of content

1. A short presentation of « Bike to School » p.4

2. The curiosity of children… p.7

3. Itinerary p.11

4. Who are the project leaders?

p.12

5. An innovative, entreprenarial and sustainable project! p.14

6. Communication on the project p.18

7. The bike p.20

8. The budget p.22

9. Join in the adventure! p.23

Conclusion p.24

Let’skeep in touch ! p.25

Appendix p.26

Detailed budget

Description of planned fund-raising actions


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1. A short presentation of «Bike to School»

Our project: to ride through the Eurasian continent to share thoughts on dreams and prospects.

Our objectives: to visit schools and gather testimonies on people’s dreams ; the bioclimatic and economic constraints that could stop them and the solutions that could be found together.

On the road, we will visit schools to organise activities on major themes of sustainable development (energies, biodiversity, water…)

We will also gather the children’s testimonials on their daily life, and their vision of the futur. Going from one school to another, we will be able to put together a long chain of different thoughts and opinions.

We would like to produce a documentary and share it with our partners and with the schools

This journey is one of exchange and discovery. We therfore want to share experiences and to confront points of views on this project with fellow oikos students throughout Europe. That is why we are planning to stop in cities where we will find branches of the oikos international association. This will be the opportunity to project the films and pictures taken before-hand, while exchanging advice, experiences and suggestions.


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This adventure comes as the next step in a project created by oikos Reims : « Children of a New World ».

Before our departure, we have already organised activities in primary schools of Reims. We organised entertaining workshops on themes such as energy, the rarefaction of natural resources and sustainable mobility. We used entertaining methods which recieved overwhelming support from children.

These enthusiastic feedbacks from children as well as teachers have strengthened our motivation and belief in the project « Bike to School ».

To summarize “Bike to School”

- To interview children on their daily life and dreams

- To analyse the existing means to allow them to realise it in sustainable ways

- To induce dialog and reflection on sustainable issues in universities and partner companies thanks to the documentary made out of the experience


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Your interest in supporting us

As a partner of « Bike to School », you will be able to create visibility for your company or its products thanks to our website as well as thanks to the media coverage we will recieve. If you choose to support us through a technical sponsorship, we will also ensure you a precise and detailed feedback on the products given to us.

Your participation in a great human and technical adventure such as the project « Bike to School » is a way to change the daily lives of the people we will meet. And beyond this, your company’s internal communication on this project can create a real work ethic, group effect and give staff a renewed enthusiasm for your company and its projects. New initiatives are a good way to gather employees and partners and give them a strong and positive corporation feeling.

Bike professionals, do not forget the Salon du Cycle de Paris that takes place from the 16th to the 19th of September. We could attend to present « Bike to School » and underline our common partnership. For partners abroad, similar animations and testimonies can be possible.

“If you have the feeling that you are too small to change anything, just try to sleep with a mosquito… and you will see which of you

prevents the other from sleeping. »

The Dalaï Lama


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2. The curiosity of children

« Children are one third of our population and all of our future. »

Select Panel for the Promotion of Child Health, 1981

Why are we so motivated? We deeply believe in the importance of educating future generations, just as in the strength of the models that reign on today’s generation. We hope that our exchanges and discussions will have a positive impact on our interlocutors. The confrontation of different visions aims to do just this while our travelling aims to bring depth to discussions and reflections. Our ambition…To bring elements of children’s analyses and thoughts from different origins, children old enough to understand the questions at hand and who have an inquisitive and demanding mindset. To give our partners an objective point of view of the current situation throughout the continent. To share with everyone an experience, ideas…


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Planned activities

Adopting an entertaining approach is always successful, especially when dealing with children. This is why we chose to make a project related to « as well as their critical sense. We are convinced that the evolution towards a more responsible attitude must go through education and awareness-raising actions in sustainable development.

To manage the language difference, we take care of contacting interlocutors of the city who master English, German of French. We base the workshops on visual and audiovisual supports, to keep childrens attention to its maximum.

We therefore chose to organise different games and workshops.

A presentation of their school

Before we leave Reims, our arrival will already be planned with the schools, and our visit expected and prepared. We will ask each school teacher to help children make a short presentation of their environment : school, school system, country, key points. We will film this presentation when visiting their school and we will project the film in the following classes (with english subtitles). This set will be put together for the final documentary.

Time capsule

In this activity, we ask each child to write 50 words on his/her hopes or his/her vision of the future. The wishes will be kept in a sealed bottle, and reopened 10 years later.

This way, « Bike to School » will not only be making a link between people of different origins but also gathering different generations in the same reflection.


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Exchange with pupils

We organise a time of exchange on different themes concerning the environment. During this time, we come up with different themes to discuss such as the use of natural resources and biodiversity, the ways and difficulties that arise to keep it stable and to make a good use of it in a constraining environment. And we also discuss group actions, and the power that comes out of synergy. For the theme of biodiversity, we are working with a bee-keeper of Reims for the question of pollination.

Obstacle race

In this activity, we combine an assault course and a relay race. This game is always a great success. We will introduce questions such as the preservation of natural resources and team working. Races and relays with a glass of water through obstacles will be organised. The winning team will be the one holding the most

amount of water, despite the difficulties.


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Transmission of a team game

Pupils will teach us a game. We will film it to teach it and play with the next class.

A drawing to transmit to the following school

… for a picture is worth a thousand words. Children are actually quite sensitive to visual elements. This artistic activity will underline the filmed message.

How can « Bike to School » have a positive impact on people?

We hope that this project will change the daily life of people we meet. As a planted seed that grows, each one should question the stakes of sustainable development thanks to the growing awareness created by « Bike to School ». Therefore, we hope that we will see the beginning of responsible behaviour through a better understanding of the subject.


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3. Itinary

What does the itinary look like ?

We will ride forward through : France – Germany – Switzerland – Austria – Ungaria – Romania – Bulgaria – Ukraine – Russia – Kazakhstan – Mongolia – China.

… and backwards we take the transiberian train, through Beijing, Moscou and Berlin, to drive next to Paris.

What are the main milestones ?

Schools will stand as obvious milestones on our road. We will also stop in partner universities of oikos so as to present the project to them and what we already learnt. During these meetings, we will exchange with these oikees on their behaviour and actions on their environment.

While the general orientation is obvious, we will refine the roadmap following cities that would like to welcome the project. Because « Bike to School », that is a serie of places where we make an enriched study.

In July 2010, we already had the main stages until Astrakhan (we are in contact with a russian teacher on the spot.)


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4. Who are the project leaders?

As last-year students in Reims Management School, we are lucky enough to benefit from the lectures and education that are useful at every state of the project. Project management lectures and a seminar on interculturality especially helped us.

It is also during these studies that we discovered oikos, its commitments and its project.

But let us introduce ourselves a bit more…

&

Anne

A big amount of good humour,

multilingual and multitasking !

Iceskater who doesn’t like the cold.

Very good cook ; will try on camping gas !

Eager for adventure !

Doesn’t like pavements (nothing to fear during our travel…)

Benjamin

An adventurer,

Adapts to any situation, like his Swiss Army knife.

Loves to go and discover new cultures.

Lucky and intuitive, he will try to drive the tandem safely home

He will need to focus on one single task for miles.


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… and the whole oikos association.

Indeed, we have been selected among several projects to benefit from a coaching session by oikos international, through 3 intensive seminars. They are organised by alumni, entrepreneurs and young oikosee elected by oikos branches and who give their time to support dynamic projects.

We received a lot of advice from them : structure of the project, organisation of activities in schools, search for sponsors… good advice that we use all along the realisation of the project.

We also work with the whole oikos Reims association, whom we belong to. As active members, we are indeed taking part in its strategy, organisation of local and international events for years. This year, we are lucky enough to see the project « Bike to School » integrated in the program of oikos Reims for this year.

Organisation, strategic brainstorming, organisation of events in schools of Reims and within Reims Management School… so many activities that are allowed by the strong implication of the members of the association.


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« to underline the need for significant stakes to be supported by strong actions, so as to strike people’s mind and to invite them to action »

« Exemplarity and proof through example, the strength of dialog : this is how our project works. »

5. An innovative, entreprenarial and sustainable project!

The project « Bike to School » is dealing with topical issues. Fragility of biodiversity, appearance of conflicts bound to water, the growing scarcity of resources… several topics that no one can ignore nowadays.

Faced with such issues, ambitious projects are required. And we also want to underline the need for significant stakes to be supported by strong actions, so as to strike people’s mind and to invite them to action. What is more, our travel through the European and Asian continent is a way to realise our engagement. Exemplarity and proof through example, the strength of dialog : this is how our project

works.

An innovative and entreprenarial project

The project « Bike to School » is also innovative by the number and the diversity of people implicated in the adventure. We try to create a contact between different categories such as pupils, people working in companies, teachers, students… and each one can get involved in the project from a different angle. However, all these groups are confronted with the same stakes. « Bike to School » then tries to make an proactive reflection arise. « Bike to School » is a travel and a search for topical information, so as to create discussions and to see solutions emerge.


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Through this adventure, we want to implicate our partners in a long term approach. We are looking for an impact that should be as large a possible in terms of time, space and people’s implication. To achieve this, « Bike to School » has developed a triple approach.

Moreover, it is possible that communities who welcome us could be interested in the project. That is why we think about integrating parents, relatives and other inhabitants in the project. It will be the same for partners with subsidiaries abroad.

First of all, this is a travel with a physical ambition. We will travel through 12 countries and ride over more than 14 000 km. So it is ambitious because of the amount of distance travelled. We will therefore link our partners in a large zone.

This is also a project stretching across generations. We will actually try to create an intergeneration dialog (directly and with a delay). Bike to School challenges today’s managers just as will do tomorrow’s managers. But this is not everything. The preparation and the realisation of the project have also required a long term commitment from the riders and the whole oikos association : preparation over 1 year, links with projects of our partners (schools included), reflection on our return, on lectures afterwards etc.

And finally, this adventure wants to reach as many people as possible. So this is a journey targetting people. Several classes, their teachers and family ; all those who follow us on the website and through the media ; our other partners ; the association oikos in its globality…


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A sustainable project, bound to humanity and environment

For this, we strengthen intergenerational bounds. As with the buried bottle, we want to share a knowledge and to broadcast a message that is meant to last. The recording of children’s voices for their neighbouring pupils as well as their successors goes in this direction. In the sameway, the realisation of a blog and perhaps a documentary on the daily life and future of these children should develop people’s awareness on the different situations and environmental stakes of today.

The mission of oikos is to make an action’s potential grow, while strengthening the sustainable skills of future managers. We want to realise this through a multiple entrance project.

By addressing children, we try to help sustainable behaviour arise in young people, whose habits are not plainly fixed yet. By addressing our partners, we are talking to their judgment and their analysis capacity to see what solutions are possible to achieve.

We have therefore started to communicate toward several targets ; families, friends, associations, partners, schools, long time travelers… who link together different places and anticipate on our future actions. Several thousands of people are then concerned.

For the partners of this project can stand as the beginning of a large scale dialog, with strong and multiple implications. And concerning the global impact, we think that an ambitious project as Bike to School can allow the reflection on today’s model to start again. It will then permit us to rethink our relationship to our environment and habits, so as to evolve positively.

The aim of « Bike to School » is to search for actual information in the field of environment. Through exchange and dialog, we want to share experience, to confront points of view and see the emergence of

responsible behaviour.


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We therefore hope we can heighen awarenes so that young people develop a strong citizenship mindset. We also are working on the re-activation of the reflection from todays actors. We believe that sharing a strong project, focused on sustainable issues is a good way to reach that ; all the more as our enquiery goes beyond the political messages broadcast by local media. This is about opening the analysis, thanks to a documentary anchored in today’s problematics.

The originality of the approach stands in the combination of a physical challenge such as this bike trip, a educational project and long term communication work.


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6. Communicating on the project

Communication is a key point in the project « Bike to School ». In fact, the whole project relies on meetings and exchange. Therefore, we absolutely want to highlight all that we learn and discover.

The communication plan we set up is orientated on learning, a follow-up of our experience by our partners and interlocutors in its pedagogical, technical and human parts. Tips, feedbacks, developed partnerships, required tools for such a project etc should be integrated within.

PEOPLE, GROUPS AND INSTITUTIONS CONCERNED BY THE PROJECT

In France :

Our financial and technical partners

Students of Reims Management School and administration

Members of oikos (Reims and others)

Pupils from Reims – i.e. 30 children in a class, 5 teachers, relatives from children and teachers

TV channels and specialised ones (France 5 , Arte, France Télévision, Voyages, National Geographic Channel, Escales, Odyssée, Planète Ushuaia TV)

People following the project through different channels : the internet, television, magazines, newspapers

Abroad :

Pupils of partner schools, their techers and relatives – and the community concerned

Students who follow the project

Oikos international and other local branches

People following the project through different channels : the internet, television, magazines, newspapers


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RELATED COMMUNICATION TOOLS CONCERNED

Before leaving :

Word of mouth system

The internet website : www.biketoschool.fr, with an integrated blog and other websides that can make a link (oikos Reims, oikos international, Reims Management School website, partners etc)

The presentation dossier of « Bike to School »

The Facebook group : « Bike to School, une aventure en tandem couché »

Different media partners

During the travel :

Activities and workshops in school

Conferences and discussion groups in universities partners of oikos international

Record of the voice of children, draws, pictures etc

Conferences and discussion groups with communities

Website of « Bike to School » : www.biketoschool.fr

Different media partners

After the travel :

Long term update of the website

Visits in primary schools

Program of conferences with partners

Possible interviews by different media partners

http://www.biketoschool.fr/


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7. The bike

Why a recumbent bike??

For each road there is a bike ! Specialists agree on that : for rocky grounds, the mountain bike ; for cities, the bicycle… and a recumbent bike is the best for long journeys. With its incredible ergonomics, such a bike easily reaches an average speed of 20km/h on a well-maintained road without any difficulty.

During months, we did researchs on the different types of bikes that are used for long-distance trips. Recumbent bikes appeared obvious. We had the opportunity to try different models by retailers and during the Cycle fair in Paris in october 2009. We met professionals there with whom we had long talks concerning stability, comfort, visibility, safety, accessories…

We chose the bike after long discussions on safety and the rythm we have when we go on bicycle rides together. We then decided ourselves on 26 inches wheels. For they are fitted in terms of comfort and speed. And above all we are then higher on the road, and therefore more visible for car-drivers.

By searching on the Internet and exhausting all key-words related to recumbent tandems in all known languages, we discovered that the M5 brand was quoted on and on. We contacted its designer, Bram Moens, to talk about our project. One thing leading to another, we finally went to try the M5 recumbent tandem in Middelburg, the Netherlands.

This is quite a singular bike !! It will make us remarkable, and will therefore emphasise our visit in people’s mind. And moreover, it will keep us united in hard times !


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Long discussions with Bram Moens – the creator and designer of recumbent bike – have allowed us to get a bike especially chosen for our adventure and will moreover be used again for other trips. Cost of the jewel : 5,200€.

We both agreed on taking this amount on our personal funds. This allows us to avoid impacting the funds of the association oikos Reims. And most of all, it is proof for our partners that we are also financially committed to the project.

… and here comes “la Licorne” (the Unicorn)!!

22 Bike to school, un projet à portée de roues

Biketoschool.fr Bike to School, un projet à portée de roues

www.biketoschool.fr

8. The budget

Here are the main points of the budget :

EXPENSES

Bike equipment: 7 139.4€

Cloathing: 2 082,1 €

Sleeping material: 1 124,4 €

Cooking: 385,2 €

Hygiene : 311,5 €

Other : 3 120.9 €

Current spending : 9 320€

Health: 1 700€

TOTAL EXPENSES: 25 1835€

INCOME

Personnal input: 5,200 €

Private donations : 1,605 €

PROJECTED INCOME

Badge sale : 1,5€ for a pins

Pictures for thematic albums : donations (15€ minimum)

Sale of shares on a basis of 1€ = 1km (organisation in progress)

Parties organised to support the project (organisation in progress in cooperation with the Students’ Desk in Reims Management School)

Subsidies from Reims Management School, the Conseil Général de Champagne Ardennes

TOTAL INCOME on August, 8th 2010 : 6,205€

REMAINING NEED OF: 18,978€ on August, 8th 2010


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9. Join in the adventure !

Travel with us !

Our goal is to involve as many people as possible in the project, so as to share a maximum of our experience and thoughts with you. To adapt our solutions to your needs, we offer you different ways to join in the project « Bike to School ».

We can offer different partnerships :

We are looking for financial, technical and media partners. We are interested in funds, stocks fitting our needs, or media cover. Schools are another form of partnership.

The association oikos international was the first to believe in our project. We won the right to take part in the Project Leadership Programm 2010. The coaching program is led by PhD fellows. During 3 seminars, they help us structure the project to make it more professional and efficient in its realisation.

If you are interested in the project, you have different options to participate :

… and of course, you can help us find different people that could be interested in “Bike to School”.

You can participate by financing part of the necessary material

You can help us in your activity through a technical sponsorship

You can buy kilometers – as an individual or as a company

- … or you can help us by combining all of them !


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Conclusion « Bike to School», un projet à portée de roues !!

A project with self-challenge

Enriched by different approaches:

- physical challenge

- travel and discovery

- documentary

A project of depth

The different aspects of sustainable development covered by « Bike to School »:

- analysis of the current situation thanks to a panorama that covers the Eurasian continent

- analysis of individual and group responsibility concerning the environment.

- study of possible actions offered to everyone

A project of dreams

Because « Bike to School » takes us all on the roads from France to China. And the aim is to offer each one a dream !


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Let’s keep in touch !

www.biketoschool.fr

[email protected]

Facebook profile : « Bike to School. Reims-Beijing 15000km with a tandem M5 »

Anne SALAUN

+33 (0)6 34 60 98 01

[email protected]

30 rue de chativesle, 51100 Reims

Benjamin STOLL

+33 (0)6 82 12 27 45

[email protected]

15 rue Castérès, 92100 Clichy, France

http://www.biketoschool.fr/





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Appendix Appendix 1 – Detailed budget for the project « Bike to School »


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Appendix 2 : Description of projected find-raising actions

To do the maximum for the project « Bike to School », we have project different events before and during the project, so as to complete the inputs from our different partners.

Badge sale

We plan to buy badges wholesale, on which we will put our logo. Sold 2€, they will make the project visible and permit us to raise funds (forecast margin : 1,5€ per badge)

Organisation of events

Parties are always very successful with students. We therefore plan to organise different parties :

We will be in charge of the cloakroom in bars and nightclubs during student parties. Some bar tenders accept to do this and give us part of the profit. This action will be repeated during events organised by Reims Management School.

Sale of shares on a basis of 1€=1km

Everybody can come along ! Individuals and companies can finance us depending on their wishes and possibilities. This way, you can help us go on with the project and on the road. For example : for 10€, one can pay for the 10 first chinese kilometers ; or for 70€, one links up Graz (Austria) to Budapest (Hungary) and so on.

Order an album

People can order a picture album, after chosing a theme (animals, children, religious places etc). We will then make albums of 16 pages (10 to 15 pictures) for a price of 15€.

Order postcards

Some just love receiving postcards. It is actually another way to travel with us. We offer to send you one or several postcards for a minimum amont of 5€ - depending on the opportunities on the road.


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Bike to School - Partnership project

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