A REALLY smart group of kids

Today I visited the Achievement First Bridgport Academy. What an inspiration! These kids are incredible.

I met for an hour with the 7th grade. Keeping the attention of 80 7th graders seemed like a daunting task. However, my worries were baseless. They started asking questions almost before I could start. The level of intellectual curiosity in the room was really impressive. When I asked what slowed down a bike, and kept it from perpetually moving forward, one budding physicist quoted Newton's second law. When I asked why it was important to eat some protein, another scholar correctly pointed out the need for protein in the muscles. These kids are only in 7th grade. Wow!

However, what really got to me was the following:
"You're riding to support us. What can we do to support you?"
Smart and incredibly thoughtful.

Visiting this school is a glimpse into the future. Great things will result.

To the 7th graders at Bridgeport Academy - You guys rock! Send me some news while I'm on the road.

A Hairy Challenge

For those of you who know my good friend Steven Southworth, this won't surprise you.

Steven is generous, creative and slightly evil. He has generously offered to donate $50 per day of riding. The trip is 50 days, with a few rest days, assuming I make it the whole way. Do the math. He has offered to double the donation to $100 per day if someone else donates $50 per day.

However, there's a catch. (This is the creative and slightly evil aspect.) I can't shave for the entire 50 days of the trip, and I have to post pictures of myself periodically on this blog. I have a very light beard. It is also extremely patchy. Hence, I look like a diseased cat with only patchs of fur when I let my beard grow. Also, since it grows slowly, the itchy phase stretches on for weeks. However, I will endure the look and feel if someone takes Steven up on his offer.

Here's your chance to double your impact at the school and cause me grief. What could be better?

15 Nanoseconds of Fame

Check out this video from the online version of the Westport Minuteman newspaper. The Minuteman also ran a story on the front page today.

Many thanks to the Minuteman's star reporter, Bonnie Adler, for making this happen.

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I'm Biking Across the Country!

Hi. I’m Harold Kamins. On May 8, 2010, I’ll get on my bike in Los Angeles. Hopefully, on June 26, I’ll arrive in Boston, having ridden the route you see above. 3415 miles, or about 1,200,000 revolutions of the pedals. One major reason to do this is to support the Achievement First Bridgeport Academy Middle School – a charter school in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

If you know me, you know that quality education for children is something I’ve invested a lot of time and effort in, including work with:

• A Better Chance of Westport
• The Charter Oak Challenge Foundation
• Staples Tuition Grants
• Connecticut Association for the Gifted

The Achievement First Bridgeport Academy Middle School is making a real difference in the lives of its students, giving them access to an education otherwise unavailable. Take a few minutes and read about the school, Achievement First, and the sad state of education for underserved kids in Connecticut. Please consider helping out with a contribution. Just click on the link at the right to pay through PayPal, or click the link on the right with instructions on sending checks. Thanks!