Morgan Hill, CA. (October 4, 2024) — Outride is accepting applications for its Riding for Focus grant beginning October 14 through January 31, 2025. Riding for Focus is a school-based rider education program that promotes cycling as an outlet for middle school students to improve their cognitive, physical, and social well-being.
Eligible applicants include public middle schools in the U.S. and Canada that primarily serve students from low-income backgrounds. Schools and organizations may also purchase the program if inventory allows after grant distributions. This year's application cycle begins earlier than past years, aiming to provide educators with more time to craft competitive applications and receive technical assistance.
Each Riding for Focus grant includes a fleet of bikes and helmets, an online training course for teachers, program evaluation and data analysis support, an opportunity to attend an in-person training conference at a Specialized Bicycle Components office, and ongoing support from Outride staff to champion the many benefits of cycling for youth. Outride is proud to partner with Specialized Bicycle Components to gift bikes, equipment, and services to grant recipient schools at no cost.
Since 2012, Outride has partnered with 400 schools and granted more than $2 million to more than 250 cycling programs, impacting up to 50,000 youth across North America each year.
Riding for Focus is the primary grant offering from Outride, which began as the Specialized Foundation in 2012 and rebranded as Outride in 2019. The program was
born out of an initial research project on how cycling can improve social, emotional, and cognitive health. The goal of the program is to provide middle school youth with the foundational skills and knowledge to unlock the lifelong benefits of cycling.
"When a school brings Riding for Focus to its campus, it's a special opportunity to provide students with another outlet for fun, exercise, and improved well-being," said Chazz Robinson, Outride's programs leader. "We hear regularly from teachers running the program that students learn to love riding after participating in Riding for Focus."
Each school receives a fleet of Specialized Rockhoppers and helmets, outfitted specifically for Riding for Focus
Riding for Focus schools receive a fleet of Specialized Rockhopper bikes specifically designed for the program alongside a 14-lesson curriculum that takes students from novice to road ready. Each year, the organization gathers teachers implementing the program to welcome them to the Outride community and provide hands-on and on-bike training. Throughout the grant term, Outride staff also help educators understand the impact the program has students through surveys and data analysis support.
In its last round of grantmaking, Outride awarded Riding for Focus grants to 46 schools and distributed more than 2,000 bikes and helmets to public schools across North America. If your school is interested in applying for a Riding for Focus grant, visit www.outridebike.org.
About Outride:
Outride is a public nonprofit organization that provides research, cycling programs, and funding to empower all people to experience the social, emotional, and cognitive benefits of cycling. Outride has a direct focus on expanding opportunities to access the benefits of cycling, partnering with programs that intentionally work to provide the social, emotional, and cognitive health benefits of cycling to underrepresented demographic groups.
