StreetFest 2005 to Take to Two Wheels

August 22, 2005 == MEDIA ADVISORY

A scenic bike ride of a different sort has been added to the annual StreetFest
project at Calvin College this year.

The 2005 edition of StreetFest, scheduled for September 1-3, will see some
1,000 incoming Calvin College students spend a part of their three-day
orientation combining service with learning in a variety of Grand Rapids
neighborhoods.

And this year, for the first time ever, some of them will do it on wheels.

The urban bike tour, a concept developed by Don De Graaf, a Calvin professor
of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Dance and Sport, will take faculty
and incoming Calvin students throughout the city, stopping at several
StreetFest sites.

"The objective is to introduce students to the city and to also show some of
the places that Calvin students have been involved in the city," De Graaf says.
 For example, we may stop at Plaster Creek and talk about how Calvin biology
students are involved in helping clean up that watershed. Or we'll stop in
Burton Heights, and we'll talk about how the nursing students are involved with
staff from Health Intervention Services."

The cyclists will cover about 20 miles on the tour, De Graaf says, while
learning about the issues of the city.

"Our hope," he says, "is that when they return, students will have gained an
appreciation for the city and many of the challenges the city faces. We also
hope they will be encouraged by the experience to be active citizens in the
city during their stay at Calvin and beyond."

But while the bike ride is new many of StreetFest's constants will be visible
this year too as students do touch-up painting at Heartside Ministry, yard
cleanup at First Christian Reformed Church, food sorting at Second Harvest
Gleaners, a rain garden (a garden that filters groundwater) for the West
Michigan Environmental Action Council, a cook-out with seniors at John Ball
Park Zoo and numerous other undertakings for over 50 of the city's nonprofit
organizations.

The StreetFest day begins at 9:30 a.m. when all participants - students and
mentors - gather in the Calvin chapel for a half-hour of worship. At 10 a.m.
the various work teams will attend breakout sessions where they will meet their
mentors and learn about the demographics and the existing resources of the
neighborhoods they will be working in. Following the actual project, the
students meet to reflect and evaluate their service experience.

This will be the 13th year for StreetFest at Calvin College. Local sponsors
for the event include Huntington Bank, which provides a large portion of the
funding for StreetFest, and Kentwood and Chicago Drive Cycling and Fitness
which will provide all of the bicycles (and other necessary equipment) for the
students who will be participating in the city-wide bike tour component of
StreetFest.

For the entire story see www.calvin.edu/news

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Received on Mon Aug 22 23:59:56 2005