TRIPS FOR KIDS NATIONAL

THE NATIONWIDE LEADER IN BRINGING DIVERSITY TO YOUTH CYCLING, TRIPS FOR KIDS HAS SERVED MORE THAN 230,000 YOUTH IN URBAN AND RURAL COMMUNITIES ACROSS NORTH AMERICA SINCE 1988. USING THE POWER OF THE BIKE AS A VEHICLE FOR CHANGE, OUR PROGRAMS PROMOTE HEALTHY RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES, ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS AND PERSONAL EMPOWERMENT. OUR PROGRAMS OFFER KIDS A NEW WAY OF LEARNING AND MOVING IN THE WORLD THROUGH CYCLING AND THE OUTDOORS.THE TRIPS FOR KIDS NATIONAL OFFICE WAS ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE, SUPPORT AND RESOURCES TO OUR EXPANDING NATIONWIDE NETWORK OF MEMBERS. RESOURCES INCLUDE ORGANIZATIONAL AND TEACHING MANUALS, BIKE TRAIL RIDE PROGRAMS, LEARN AND EARN-A-BIKE PROGRAMS, EQUIPMENT, DATA COLLECTION TOOLS AND COMMUNICATION PLATFORMS. OUR MEMBERS USE THESE RESOURCES TO PROVIDE CYCLING-BASED EXPERIENCES AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS THROUGH HANDS-ON LEARNING, CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING AND TEAMWORK. IN OUR FIFTH YEAR OF OPERATIONS, WE WORKED CLOSELY WITH OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO HELP THEM OPERATE PROGRAMMING IN THEIR AREAS. IN SPITE OF CONTINUED PANDEMIC RELATED RESTRICTIONS, THEY WERE ABLE TO TAKE OVER 3,700 KIDS ON TRAIL RIDES, MORE THAN 600 KIDS EARNED THEIR OWN BICYCLES, MORE THAN 13,000 REFURBISHED BICYCLES WERE SAVED FROM LANDFILLS AND MORE THAN 300 VOLUNTEERS DONATED 11,400 VOLUNTEER HOURS. FEMALE RIDERSHIP INCREASED BY 7% FROM 2020.IN RECOGNITION OF THAT INCREASED FEMALE RIDERSHIP AND OF OUR LEADERSHIP IN DIVERSITY WITHIN THE BICYCLE COMMUNITY, WE REVISED OUR NATIONAL LOGO TO INCORPORATE THE IMAGE OF FEMALE RIDE LEADER.WE LAUNCHED THE SECOND PHASE OF OUR LEARN AND EARN-A-BIKE ONLINE PROGRAM AND PROVIDED MEMBERS WITH MATERIALS, EQUIPMENT, TRAIN THE TRAINER INSTRUCTION AND BEST PRACTICES GUIDEANCE. WE HIT A MILESTONE WITH 250 KIDS COMPLETING THE ONLINE PROGRAM A BOON FOR THOSE WHO COULD NOT ATTEND IN PERSON.COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS: IN SEPTEMBER, MORE THAN 40 PROGRAM DIRECTORS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY CAME TOGETHER TO ATTEND OUR FIRST ONLINE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE. NATIONAL OFFICE STAFF AND GUEST SPEAKERS PROVIDED INFORMATION AND TRAINING ON COMMUNITY TOPICS OF INTEREST. TO AUGMENT THAT, EACH MONTH WE HOSTED A VIRTUAL COMMUNITY FORUM WHERE MEMBERS CAME TOGETHER TO DISCUSS CHALLENGES, SUCCESSES, AND BEST PRACTICES.FINALLY, WE CONDUCTED ONSITE VISITS TO KEY MEMBERS LOCATED IN THE SOUTHEAST TO OBSERVE AND COLLECT CONTENT FOR FUTURE PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND RESOURCES.