Become a WABA Instructor

We are proud to announce the 2014 WABA Education Instructor training program. This is a unique opportunity to join one of the country’s most prominent and successful bike education programs that has been featured in The Washington Post and on NPR in 2013. You’ll get paid to teach adults and kids throughout the region how to make the most of their time on a bike. Additionally, through the program, you will become certified as a League Cycling Instructor (LCI), enabling you to teach bike education anywhere in the country and/or to host your own classes as an independent instructor. You’re invited to apply for one of a limited number of Instructor trainee positions this fall. The application is not long, but please take the time to think about your answers and use them as your opportunity to make the case for yourself. Click here to fill out your 2014 WABA Education Instructor application! Frequently Asked Questions What is a WABA Education Instructor? WABA Education Instructors are enthusiastic local individuals who combine their love of bicycling and aptitude for teaching to help run one of the best Adult Bike Education programs in the country. Anyone can apply using this form, and from those applications, we will select 12-16 people to be our Instructor class for 2014. Do WABA Education Instructors get paid? Yes! Once Instructors have completed their Trainee period (seven hours of teaching), they are paid a rate of $50/hour for any classes they teach with WABA. What is the time commitment for WABA Education Instructors? The training program involves 3-4 mandatory events,  including weekly online assignments, a 9-hour class on a Saturday (tentatively scheduled for 9/13) and a weekend-long seminar (tentatively scheduled for October). We estimate that the total required time is somewhere around 40-50 hours (including time spent on homework) between August and November. Once you complete the Seminar, you will have to attend two WABA adult classes (totaling seven hours) as a Trainee. After that, however, your commitment level is up to you. Over 90 percent of our classes are held on weekend mornings and are 3.5 hours long. What happens if I am chosen as one of the WABA Education Instructor candidates? You receive the following:

• A guaranteed spot in an Instructors-only Traffic Skills 101 class, tentatively scheduled for Sept. 13. ($75 value)
• A guaranteed spot in WABA’s League Cycling Instructor (LCI) Seminar, tentatively scheduled for October 10-12. NOTE: This application is the ONLY way to attend this Seminar. ($300 value)
• A WABA Instructor polo shirt. ($20 value)
• A 1-year WABA membership OR renewal. ($35 value)
• Payment at the $50/hour Instructor rate for any classes taught with us after you successfully complete your Trainee period.

And in exchange:

• You must commit to the dates for ALL classes in the Instructor training program.
• You must commit to completing your Trainee requirements (seven hours of instruction) in your first year as an LCI.
• You must join the League of American Bicyclists, if you are not already a member.
• You must complete the Traffic Skills 101 course with a score of 85 percent or higher.
• You must agree to wear a helmet at all classes and while teaching.

We think that seems like a pretty fair trade. What are the dates and times that I should know about? July 8 – Applications begin August 1 – Applications end August 11 (Tentative) – Instructor Candidates notified September 13 – Traffic Skills 101 October 10-12 – League Cycling Instructor (LCI) Seminar What does it cost to become a WABA Education Instructor? Completing the application form is free, of course. If you are selected as one of our fifteen candidates, you will be asked to pay for membership in the League of American Bicyclists ($40) in order to obtain your League Cycling Instructor certification.  Additionally, you are responsible for all transportation, food/beverage, and bike upkeep costs incurred while in the training program, and as a WABA Education Instructor thereafter (except where otherwise noted). WABA will cover the rest of the costs (see above list). I completed WABA’s City Cycling course(s). Can I skip the Traffic Skills 101 requirement? Sorry, but no. Traffic Skills 101 includes both a written evaluation and an on-bike evaluation that you must pass with a score of 85 percent or higher in order to be allowed into the LCI Seminar. While WABA’s classes cover some of the same material, the only way to take these evaluations with us is through this WABA Education Instructor training program. What happens if I am accepted as a candidate, but fail to meet the 85% score requirement at the Traffic Skills 101 course? It is possible for this to happen, though we will do our best to ensure that you reach the required score. If you do not meet the League’s requirement for the Seminar, we cannot allow you to continue. We will offer you a spot in the next LCI Seminar that is hosted by WABA, and will work with you to bring your score up. Click here to fill out your 2014 WABA Education Instructor application! Thanks for applying, and good luck!