NYPUM Finishes Its Twelfth Class
Southmountain Children and Family Services is currently finishing up its 12th class of The National Youth Project Using Minibikes (NYPUM). Nearly every child 10 and older at Southmountain completes this comprehensive course in minibike riding and safety practices. The program was developed by NYPUM - a charity of Honda Motors, Inc., in collaboration with the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. Our children spend 9 - 12 hours in the classroom before heading to the riding range to begin their minibike training where they learn about protective gear, responsible riding practices, care for the environment, local laws and regulations pertaining to riding, defensive riding strategies, and care for the equipment. However, the most important part of NYPUM is that personal goals are set for each child that are aimed at self-improvement in a variety of areas. Once children meet their goals they earn more time to ride the minibikes! Children also benefit tremendously from a mentoring relationship with their instructors and support staff, and graduate the class with important skills related to responsible riding; that also are transferable to many areas of productive citizenship. This program is a definite favorite among our youth, and is also available to select kids from the community.
