Five Schools in SD73 Benefit from the Outride Bike Program

Our District mission is to ensure that every student is supported with environments and learning opportunities that ensure that they thrive academically, socially, emotionally, and physically.

To accomplish this mission, some schools became interested in grant opportunities through the Outride Bike program, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of youth through cycling.

Since 2014, Outride has partnered with over 225 schools and granted $1.5M+ to over 170 cycling programs, impacting over 50,000 youth annually. Outride’s mission is to increase access to cycling for young people so that every kid can experience the freedom, joy, and community that riding a bike can provide.

Five schools in SD73 have received grants valued at $25,000 each through the California charity organization, Outride. Clearwater Secondary, Chase Secondary, RL Clemitson Elementary, AE Perry Elementary & Westsyde Elementary received 30 Specialized mountain bikes, helmets, curriculum and teacher training as part of the Riding for Focus program. The goals of the program include introducing safe cycling skills to students in grades 6-8, supporting students’ mental health through engagement with the outdoors and expanding the number of young people who currently know how to ride bikes.

At Westsyde Elementary, a volunteer crew of Kamloops Cycling Business owners and enthusiasts spent this past Saturday morning assembling the Outride bikes. It is encouraging to see the community support for this program and the joy on students’ faces as they develop a love of riding.

Thank you to Principal Dave Conroy for sharing this good news about how this program is making a positive difference in our schools.