January 31, 2006 – All students worldwide, 16 years old and under, are eligible to enter the “Bicycle Essay Contest.” Children from all countries are encouraged to participate – you don’t have to be a cyclist! Your essay may be on any aspect of cycling (history, touring, racing, commuting, role in society, learning, teaching, etc.) Essays should be in English, legible and 2-3 pages. Entrants can base their paper on interviews, research, and/or personal opinion. The deadline is May 1st. For more information see www.ibike.org/essays All essays become the property of the International Bicycle Fund. Decisions of the judges are final.

We also continue to offer a series of very enriching travel programs. These programs go to very unique places: Korea, Vietnam, Ecuador, Guyana, Tunisia and Uganda to name a few. Now is the time to register to be a part of this year’s programs – you won’t get the same view of the world on any other program. For more information see www.ibike.org/ibike.

If you want to get the feel for a particular program, there are photo-essays for many of them at www.ibike.org/ibike/travelogue.htm. We make changes to some part of our website almost daily, so if you haven’t looked at your favorite sections recently feel free to check back, or explore a place you haven’t been to before.

The International Bicycle Fund is almost entirely support by donations from individuals such as yourself. To help is as simple as going to the homepage and clicking on the “Donate Now” button – www.ibike.org