Riders ready. Watch the gate. Get nerdy! We recently joined forces with our partners at USA BMX Foundation to contribute to a rad new project they’re doing in partnership with Discovery Lab and the Hardesty Foundation. A real first-of-its-kind, the project is a new exhibit at Discovery Lab’s children’s museum in Tulsa called Riders Ready: The Science of BMX.
Covering a wide variety of interactive experiences on everything from balancing a freestyle bike to the ideal soil composition of a track, it’s a window into the sport like never before. We couldn’t be more stoked to see this kind of STEM education mixed with BMX, so we donated bikes and parts for the displays at Discovery Lab.
Our partner Ray Hoyt of the USA BMX Foundation summed up the exhibit nicely.
BMX racing involves numerous aspects of mechanics, engineering, and physics. This dynamic exhibit will bring those concepts to life in a fun and engaging way for children and adults alike.
Ray Hoyt
As if this wasn’t already cool enough, our very own BMX race pro Cam Wood was at the grand opening to meet youngsters in attendance and test out each exhibit. Representing both Mongoose and USA BMX, Cam gave away two Rebel RS1 race bikes, along with Rebel helmets of course, to two lucky kids. Thanks for the awesome work, Cam!
While this is a huge deal for tons of kids, not to mention BMX fans everywhere, it’s not the first time we’ve seen STEM education and BMX combined. As a sponsor of the USA BMX Foundation, we’ve helped provide bike-focused STEM education programs to schools as well as partnering with outside sponsors like the Boys & Girls Club of the Valley in Phoenix.
It’s just something we like to do. But Jon Schaefer, the president of Pacific Cycle, Mongoose’s manufacturer, said it best.
BMX isn’t just about riding, it’s about innovation, creativity, and problem-solving. This exhibit will get kids excited about STEM while promoting a healthy, active lifestyle. We’re thrilled to support this one-of-a-kind initiative with Discovery Lab and the USA BMX Foundation and look forward to seeing students explore the science behind BMX for years to come.
Jon Schaefer
The exhibit will run for about a year to a year and a half at Discovery Lab in Tulsa. After that, it’ll be unleashed for a nationwide tour of children’s museums across the country. The tour will span seven to ten years and is expected to reach over a million young BMX fans!
We’re thrilled we got the opportunity to be a part of this awesome new experience. Be sure to check out the exhibit if you’re in Tulsa. And if you aren’t, keep an eye out. It may be in your town pretty soon.
Photo credit Discovery Lab & USA BMX
