REAL-WORLD, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
LED BY INDUSTRY EXPERTS
What is the Active Transportation Academy?
The Academy is a four-day, professional development course designed to accelerate your learning about building resilient people and places through active transportation. Whether you are an engineer, developer, advocate, or elected official you will gain a new understanding that will help you utilize active forms of transportation (walking, biking, micro-mobility) to strengthen your city, community, development, or university.
Click the logos below to explore two scholarship programs
to help you participate in the Academy
NW Arkansas & Arkansas/Mississippi Delta Region Scholarship
Kansas State University-Technical Assistance to Brownfields Scholarship
GOAL: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND SKILL BUILDING
Up to 29 hours of continuing education credits are available as needed.
2024:
Session #1: APRIL 16-19, 2024 (Session Full)
Session #2: May 14-17, 2024 (Session Full)
Session #3: September 24-27, 2024 (session Full)
Session #4: October 22-25, 2024 (Session Full)
2025:
Session #1: April 15-18, 2025
Session #2: May 13-16, 2025
Session #3: September 23-26, 2025
Session #4: October 21-24, 2025
Where:
Bentonville, AR will be our base of operations, although we will be exploring multiple cities across the Northwest Arkansas region. This vibrant town has quickly grown to become a destination both for the sense of place that it promotes but also for biking. Bentonville acts as a hub for nightlife, arts and culture, as well as natural surface and paved trails.
Who should participate:
Community developers | real estate developers | parks and recreation staff | bicycle advocates | school administrators | landscape architects | civil engineers | trail coordinators | land-use planner | anyone else interested in increasing their understanding of executing and implementing bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and culture.
Learning objectives of the Academy:
Upon completion of the Active Transportation Academy participants will:
Apply knowledge of the technical details and best practices for building safe, comfortable, and connected bicycle and pedestrian facilities.
Describe the role that an active transportation network can play in supporting sustainable land use, housing, and complementing multi-modal transportation networks and will be able to provide examples of its application.
Illustrate and apply the best practices and/or strategies for developing a bicycle and pedestrian-friendly culture that can increase usage and ridership.
Integrate effective public engagement strategies that include and empower diverse voices and strive to remove barriers to residents who experience demographic, geographic, economic, or environmental disparities.
Describe the role that active transportation connectivity plays in increasing economic development and tourism.
Demonstrate how active transportation can increase community health outcomes through the creation of safer neighborhoods, recreation, and a culture of activity.
What others are saying about the Academy:
“The Academy opened my eyes to an alternative mode of transportation that can be accessed by everyone. It showed me a well-thought-out and implemented trail system can not only provide recreational and health benefits it can also provide a critical means of transportation to members of a community who may be facing economic challenges. By encouraging designs that serve all ages and all abilities while also emphasizing inclusivity, The Academy has engrained in me a duty to design trail systems that all may access safely and equally in order to fulfill a broad spectrum of needs.”
- Travis Small – Transportation Division Manager, City of Broken Arrow, OK
“The Academy completely transformed my perception of active transportation and how I interact with not only the physical spaces themselves but the people who are in positions to make positive impacts. It inspired a passion for bringing the right people to the table and provided me the awareness and relevant data needed to get the right conversations started. We now analyze how our sidewalks, bike lanes, cross walks and road ways impact the community and are encouraged to seek improvements.”- Jennifer Grissom – Director, Fort Worth Bike Sharing
Academy participants discussing infrastructure solutions during an on-site workshop.
What is the investment to attend the Academy?
The Academy includes the following*:
1. All meals, snacks, and drinks
2. Use of e-bike or e-scooter and helmet during the academy
3. Ground transportation during the academy
4. Single-occupancy accommodations in Bentonville, AR
5. All facilitation and course materials.
investment: $2,850
*Participant travel to Bentonville, AR for the event is not included in pricing.
NWA is home to over 400 miles (and growing) of natural surface trails connected by shared-use paved paths and other on-street infrastructure. While we will be primarily focused on the hard surface and on street portions of developing a connected community, you will surely want to sample some of this sweet single track while you’re here!
Check out this great resource on all things NWA: