GEARS program builds character, good habits through dirt bike riding
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Bill Poteat
Editor Emeritus
What if there were a program that provided foster children the chance to have fun and adventure — riding dirt bikes on challenging mountain trails — but that also emphasized key elements of personal skills and character development?
Well the Southmountain Foster Community, with vital support from a local motorcycle riders club, has established just such a program titled GEARS.
“GEARS is more than just a name,” said Adam Scott, recreation director for Southmountain. “It symbolizes the essential components of our program, inspired by the gears of a bike, representing movement, progress, and adventure.”
But the word is also, Scott pointed out, an acronym, with each letter representing one of the key pillars of the program’s mission. So, what are they?
G — Goal-setting: Empowering our youth to dream big and set achievable goals, fostering a sense of purpose and direction in their lives.
E — Environmental Stewardship: Instilling a deep appreciation for nature and the environment, teaching our participants to be responsible caretakers of the world around them.
A — Agency (Personal Agency): Encouraging autonomy and self-advocacy, empowering our youth to take charge of their own lives and make positive choices.
R — Resilience: Equipping our participants with the strength and resilience to overcome life’s challenges, bounce back from setbacks, and thrive in the face of adversity.
S — Service: Cultivating a spirit of generosity and compassion, inspiring our youth to give back to their community, and make a positive impact on the world.
A young participant in the GEARS Program at Southmountain Foster Community is ready for a Saturday morning ride.
“GEARS is about teaching our young people to take healthy risks,” said Scott. “What we’re doing, really, is giving them more than they’re asking for. They want to ride dirt bikes. We’re about helping them learn a crucial set of life skills.
“The focus is on competence,” Scott continued. “We want them to learn to ride safely and to learn how to take responsibility for their own machines.”
The Southmountain campus is the perfect location for such a program. It contains nearly 200 acres near Lake James in the foothills at the very base of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Those acres are crossed with numerous walking and bike trails.
Each session of GEARS contains six to eight young people, ages 10 to 18. Those who turn 18 can continue in the program by becoming certified as safety instructors.
“It comes down to 40 to 50 hours of riding time,” Scott said, “divided into 26 sessions, which are usually held on Saturdays. In addition to residents of Southmountain, each session usually includes one or two kids from the wider community.”
The first eight to 10 of those sessions, Scott noted, are completed in the classroom.
Participation in the weekly rides requires the participants to meet certain self-chosen goals.
“The rides are a motivational tool to help our kids meet their goals,” Scott said.
“Personal goals might be to learn Spanish, or to follow an exercise program,” Scott said, “and at Southmountain we have the tools in place to make those goals attainable.”
The GEARS Program is a cooperative, community effort.
A behavioral goal might be to keep a more tidy room in the family cottage. Academic goals would vary from student to student.
Students in the program learn not only how to safely ride their bikes, but also how to do basic maintenance on the machines. To help foster a sense of ownership, students get to choose the bike they wish to ride and also to name the bike.
“Again, the key here is helping these kids to develop good habits,” said Scott. “Habits that will continue to stick with them whether they continue to ride dirt bikes or not.”
Bill Poteat is editor emeritus. He may be reached at 828-445-8595 or bill@thepaper.media.
Related
The GEARS Program of the Southmountain Foster Community is one that requires constant funding.
