Making Students’ Lives Better Through Bikes
Announcing 53 New Riding For Focus Programs Around The Country
Outride is excited to announce 53 new recipients of our Riding for Focus(R4F) school-based cycling program!
Research shows that cycling has a positive impact on cognitive, emotional, and physical well-being, and we are thrilled to expand the number of youth with access to the powerful benefits of two wheels. Our R4F program uses cycling as a tool in the classroom to get kids moving, help increase student motivation and focus, and improve their well-being. The R4F program is designed to provide schools with everything they need to get their 6th-8th grade students riding, including bikes, helmets, teacher training and curriculum.R4F also gets new youth riding bikes. On average, 10-20% of students at a school don’t know how to ride a bike before the program. By the end of R4F, students who didn’t know how to ride feel confident riding!
“It’s been a challenging year and youth need a safe outlet to experience freedom and joy. There’s no better way to do that than by riding bikes,” says Lauren Freeman, Riding For Focus Program Manager. “Students need bikes now more than ever and we at Outride are committed to getting more youth on bikes. We are so thrilled to be onboarding our 2021 schools!”
Since 2014, Riding for Focus has been implemented in over 180 middle schools across the US and Canada, impacting over 50,000 students annually. Students love the program. 87% of students report having fun in Riding for Focus, even those who typically don’t like school or PE class.
This was highlighted by students in our fall survey, who shared:
“I like that we get to be outside, it helps us to concentrate in school, and that it helps with a lot of physical skills, some include cardio, muscle endurance, coordination and much more.”
”I like that I can ride with friends and after riding, all the stress I had goes away.”
R4F also gets new youth riding bikes. On average, 10-20% of students at a school don’t know how to ride a bike before the program. By the end of R4F, students who didn’t know how to ride feel confident riding.
“It was fun to be able to ride my bike around the school with my friends. It was also nice to learn about riding a bike safely.”
“I like how we can be outside and go somewhere that I never knew.”
“It's fun and it gets me feeling all pumped up on happiness.”
We are excited to continue implementing Riding For Focus around the country and watch how cycling empowers youth to feel better, be more active, and bring communities together. We can’t wait to see what our newest community members will Outride in the coming year.
Congratulations to Our New Riding For Focus Programs!
Hydaburg School, Hydaburg, AK
Rough Rock Community School, Chinle, AZ
Cottonwood Community School, Cottonwood, AZ
Indian Wells Elementary School, Holbrook AZ
Black Mesa Community School, Pinon, AZ
Imago Dei Middle School, Tucson, AZ
Home Street Middle School, Bishop, CA
Benett Kew Elementary School, Inglewood, CA
Beluah Payne Elementary School, Inglewood, CA
Frank D. Parent Middle School, Inglewood, CA
George W. Crozier Middle School, Inglewood, CA
La Tijera Elementary School, Inglewood, CA
Oak Street Elementary, Inglewood, CA
Woodworth Monroe Academy, Inglewood CA
Centinela Elementary School, Inglewood, CA
Cycles of Change, Oakland, CA
Pescadero Middle/High School, Pescadero, CA
Shoreline Middle School, Santa Cruz, CA
Cesar E. Chavez Middle School, San Bernardino, CA
Place Bridge Academy, Denver, CO
Silverton Middle/High School, Silverton, CO
CREC Academy of Aerospace and Engineering, Windsor, CT
Dunbar High School, Washington, DC
Bret Harte Elementary, Chicago, IL
Andrew Carnegie Elementary, Chicago, IL
Ludwig Van Beethoven Elementary, Chicago, IL
McCulloch Junior High School, Marion, IN
Pioneer Trail Middle School, Olathe, KS
Mohawk Trail Regional, Buckland, MA
BYKE Collective, Baltimore, MD
Green Street Academy, Baltimore, MD
Mount Ararat Middle School, Topsham, ME
Anne Sullivan Communication Center, Minneapolis, MN
E-Stem Middle School, Woodbury, MN
Littleton School District/SAU 84, Littleton, NH
Six Directions Indigenous School, Gallup, NM
DEAP School, Navajo, NM
Lynn Middle School, Las Cruces, NM
Mannford Middle School, Mannford, OK
Cascade Junior/High School, Turner, OR
Gideon Edward School, Philadelphia, PA
William T. Tilden Middle School, Philadelphia, PA
Pittsburg Public Arsenal 6-8, Pittsburg, PA
The Neighborhood Academy, Pittsburg, PA
Calcutt Middle School, Central Falls, RI
CE Williams North, West Ashley, SC
Dalewood Middle School, Chattanooga, TN
Soddy Daisy Middle School, Chattanooga, TN
Corsicana Middle School, Corsicana, TX
Rawlins Middle School, Rawlins, WY