Riding For Focus Grant Guidelines

Grant guidelines 

These guidelines are related to our Riding for Focus Program Grant. Organizations may also purchase the program or use our curriculum to start their own program without a grant or purchase from Outride. Learn more here about other pathways to establish a program here.

Eligibility

To receive a program grant: 

  • Public Middle School (grades 6-8) serving 50%+ students from low-income backgrounds  

  • A partnership of a public middle school and a local nonprofit partner for implementation support. Partnerships must be led by the school. 

While any school or organization may purchase the Riding for Focus program, the grant is limited to eligible applicants and is not available to the following: 

  • Independent, private, or for-profit schools 

  • Schools serving fewer than 50% of students from low-income backgrounds 

  • Standalone nonprofit organizations that are not applying in partnership with an eligible public middle school 

  • Government agencies that are not school-based entities 

  • Organizations that do not meet Outride's grant eligibility requirements may still access the program through the purchase pathway. 

Institutions that are ineligible for the program grant may purchase the program from Outride. We will also offer our curriculum free of charge beginning in the Fall. 

The Program

Riding for Focus (R4F) is a school-based, curricular cycling education program. The Riding for Focus curriculum is a comprehensive 14-lesson program that uses cycling to promote student social, emotional, and cognitive well-being. Through progressive instruction, students learn fundamental cycling skills, bike handling techniques, and traffic safety concepts while developing confidence, independence, and a connection to healthy, active lifestyles. 

A unit is a complete implementation of the Riding for Focus 14-lesson sequence, delivered as designed or adapted by the instructor to meet the needs of their students. 

Implementation Setting

We believe the Riding for Focus program is most effective when implemented as part of a school-based learning environment, such as during physical education classes or other instructional periods. As a result, priority may be given to applicants who plan to implement the program within a classroom or school-day setting, where it can reach the greatest number of students and be fully integrated into the school experience. 

Grant Term

For programs established via grant from Outride, the grant term is two years. During the grant term, grantees are expected to implement the Riding for Focus Program and participate in Outride's program reporting and evaluation process for at least two school years. 

Reporting requirements include: 

  • Completing the Teacher Implementation Survey at the end of each unit implementation; and 

  • Offering Outride's voluntary student surveys to participating students each time the Riding for Focus unit is implemented, in accordance with applicable school, district, and local policies regarding parent/guardian notification and consent. 

These evaluation activities help Outride measure program reach and impact, improve program resources and support, and inform ongoing program evaluation and research. 

Selection Criteria 

Riding for Focus grant recipients are selected through a comprehensive review process that considers several factors, including: 

  • The need and demographics of the students served 

  • The school's or organization's capacity to effectively manage and maintain grant-funded equipment, including bikes and helmets 

  • Alignment between the applicant's goals and Outride's mission 

  • A follow-up interview with Outride program staff 

  • The availability of grant funding and program materials 

Because grant resources are limited, meeting the minimum eligibility requirements does not guarantee an award.  

Applicants are evaluated holistically to identify schools and communities where the program can have the greatest impact and long-term success. 

Instructors

  • Each school is required to have at least one trained instructor to receive the grant. 

  • Trained instructors are teachers of record at the school, or the school’s nonprofit partner, who will be directly instructing students. 

  • Trained instructors should not be administrators, volunteers, observers who won’t be directly instructing students. 

Instructor Training

  • All instructors are required to complete the Riding for Focus online training course.  

  • Outride will provide airfare, lodging, meals, and event registration for one instructor from each newly awarded school to attend the Outride Summit and Camp Outride, our annual in-person training conference. Attendance at Camp Outride does not replace the requirement to complete the online training course.  

  • Attendance at the Outride Summit and Camp Outride is encouraged but not required. 

Program Surveys

To help Outride evaluate program implementation and participant experiences, improve program resources and support, and better understand the impact of Riding for Focus, program awardees are expected to participate in Outride's program reporting and surveys. 

1. Teacher Implementation Survey (Required Reporting): One Teacher Implementation Survey is required for each complete implementation of the Riding for Focus unit. A unit is a complete implementation of the Riding for Focus 14-lesson sequence with a defined group of students, whether delivered as originally designed or modified by the instructor. Each time the full sequence is taught to a new group of students or repeated during the grant term, it is considered a separate unit and should be reported accordingly. 

 This survey collects information about: 

  • How the Program was implemented at the school

  • The number of students who participated

  • Educator observations and feedback regarding the Program

  • Opportunities to improve future program delivery and support

  • Completion of the Teacher Implementation Survey is required as part of the Organization's grant reporting obligations. 

2. Student Surveys: Outride provides participating schools with unique survey links that may be shared with students before and after program participation. These surveys collect information about students' experiences, attitudes, and self-reported outcomes related to participation in the Program. 

Participation in student surveys is voluntary for students. Schools may invite students to complete the surveys but must not require participation as a condition of participation in the Program or any school activity. Students may participate fully in Riding for Focus regardless of whether they choose to complete a survey. Schools are responsible for ensuring survey administration complies with applicable school, district, and local policies. 

Outride will provide participating schools with an aggregated summary report of survey responses when sufficient responses are available to protect participant confidentiality. Outride may suppress or combine results for small groups to reduce the risk of identifying individual participants. 

The Equipment

Each Riding for Focus program grant includes: 

  • A fleet of Specialized Rockhopper mountain bikes, a variety of sizes to accommodate students of different heights. 

  • One helmet per bike to support safe participation in the program. 

  • Access to the Riding for Focus curriculum and program resources. 

  • Ongoing program support from the Outride team to assist with implementation and sustainability. (This support does not include covering any expenses related to maintenance or repair) 

Bike Maintenance

Each Riding for Focus program site is responsible for the routine maintenance, repair, and overall upkeep of its bikes and equipment. To help support long-term program success, Outride can assist in connecting schools and organizations with local bike shops and community partners that may be able to provide maintenance services, training, or technical support. We are committed to helping programs build the local relationships needed to keep their bike fleets safe, functional, and ready for students to ride. 

Liability

Participating schools and organizations are responsible for all activities related to program implementation. Outride is not liable for injuries, damages, or claims arising from the use of program equipment or the operation of the program. Additional details can be found in the Grant Agreement. 

FAQ 

For other frequently asked questions, please see our Riding for Focus FAQ page.