2023 Summer Bike Camp Report
Nearly 600 campers enjoyed our Summer Bike Camp offerings across northern Michigan this year, making it our biggest year yet! These summer camps provide more than affordable childcare for working parents; they develop valuable life skills and social connections supporting happy, active kids across the region. We reached out to parents and participants alike to get a feel for Summer Bike Camp's impact on Norte families this year.
A Quick Rewind
Summer Bike Camp is presented by the Kiwanis Club of Traverse City and the continued support of Traverse City Orthodontics, TBA Credit Union, the DALMAC Fund, and the HP Foundation. 2023 camps comprised half-day (4-hour) or full-day (6-hour) camps for kids 1st-8th grade.
Each camp encouraged bike safety and navigational skills and encouraged campers to explore and connect with the community confidently. Riders also learned basic bike repair skills and some nifty bike tricks, too!
Summer Bike Camp By-the-numbers
2023 was a pivotal year for Norte Youth Cycling. After three COVID-impacted seasons, Norte families attended SBC in record numbers. Total registrations increased 38% year-over-year, hitting a registration capacity rate of 72%. 204 participants enrolled in more than one session this year, a record-high!
Rider and Family Survey Responses
Every Norte program is capped off with a parent and participant survey. This critical feedback helps us improve every aspect of the program experience, from improving coaching training to evaluating where practices start and end. We’ve selected some of the most interesting responses.
88% of SBC riders said they were more confident on two wheels after camp! A further 10.8% were more confident, with 1.2% saying they were already pretty sure of themselves.
85.5% of participants said they were planning to ride more after being a part of camps, with another 14.5% saying they’ll ride at least a little bit more. The cool part? 79.5% of parents plan to ride more with their kids, too!
51.8% of this year’s campers were first-timers; 44.6% had previously participated in Norte programs.
62.7% of parents said Norte’s Summer Bike Camp addressed at least some of their summer childcare needs.
Opportunities to Improve
Parent and participant feedback also provided several ways to make SBC more fun and more valuable. Our staff is investing considerable planning and evaluation time to ensure we implement changes to make our programs the best they can be. Some of our priorities for 2024 include:
Provide more information on what to expect on the first day of camp.
Clarifying the mileage/ride time expectations early on.
Consistent communication from coaches - possibly every single day.
A more formal sign-in and sign-out process.
Improved communication about registration
No Shredder Left Behind
One of Norte’s main objectives for 2024 is to address increasing scholarship applications. Since 2014, we have never turned away a child from participating in a program, but we can’t do it alone. We rely on Business Champions, Pacesetters, and individual donations to ensure every kid gets in on the SBC fun.
Summer Is Right Around the Corner
Norte is already putting the final touches on registration for 2024. We plan to open registration in January, three weeks earlier than last year. Remember that Monthly Donors get a headstart on summer camp registration with a minimum monthly gift of just $10. Whether you’re a returning Norte family or looking to join for the first time, we value your interest in youth cycling and support! Learn more about all our youth bike programs and consider donating today.
