Education Professor Awarded Grant to Advance STEM Learning Through Bike Engineering and Design

Image courtesy of Damon Kimbrough.

Jennifer Tripp, PhD, SUNY Geneseo assistant professor of adolescence science education, has been awarded a $96K National Science Foundation grant, “STEMCyclists: Advancing Youth STEM Learning through Bicycle Engineering and Biomechanics,” to teach teens about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) as they build and customize their own bicycles and participate in community bike rides.

Tripp’s three-year grant is in collaboration with a $1.24 million grant with University at Buffalo professor of science education, Noemi Waight, and associate professor of English education, Ryan Rish, along with three bike-centered community organizations, East Side Bike Club, GObike Buffalo, and Slow Roll Buffalo. Tripp has been with the STEMCyclists team since its 2022 launch.

Youth ages 13-15 will attend a two-week summer program to learn the history, technology, biomechanics, physics, and engineering design related to bicycles and cycling, while creating and riding their own bikes with members of bike-centered community organizations and returning STEMCyclists peer mentors. Follow-up events and rides will continue throughout the school year. The team documents how and what STEM phenomena the participants learn and understand at the intersection of play and learning, said Tripp. They develop and revise the program each year.

“Bicycling is a fun, everyday pastime that is a great opportunity for learning about physics and the bike as a technology, as a system of simple machines interacting with other systems, along with the evolving designs, biomechanics, and engineering that go into it,” said Tripp. “This program will be very experiential and place-based, helping youth deepen their understanding of STEM concepts, engage in authentic science and engineering practices, and uncover connections that are all around them.”

In total, nearly 100 teens in the Buffalo area will participate over the next three years.

Tripp said the program also presents a valuable opportunity for a Geneseo student researcher funded by the grant.

“The student assistant will be involved in all parts of the project,” said Tripp. “They will be mentored in co-developing the STEMCyclists curriculum, program planning, collecting and analyzing data, and disseminating research findings so the team can reflect on what works well, what we’ve learned, and what could be changed for future phases.” 

At left, Assistant Professor Jennifer Tripp rides with STEMCyclists. (Photo courtesy of Damon Kimbrough). At right, Jennifer Tripp (SUNY Geneseo/Mat Johnson).