Outride, a national nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of youth through cycling, announced that Apache Junction High School and Cactus Canyon Junior High School are 2020-21 grant recipients for the Riding for Focus School Program.

The Riding for Focus school-based cycling program uses cycling as a tool for students to achieve academic, health and social success.

Over the past five  years, Outride has provided 185 middle schools across the U.S. and Canada with everything they need to get their sixth- to eighth-grade students riding including bikes, helmets, starter maintenance equipment, cycling curriculum and teacher training.

AJHS and CCJH received 35 mountain bikes and safety equipment, in addition to training materials.

"I am proud of the work that physical education teacher Tim Mckee and the teams at AJHS and CCJH have done to earn this opportunity for our students," AJHS Principal Christopher Lineberry said. "Through programs such as this, we are meeting the needs of the whole child, promote lifelong health and physical activity, and improve the quality of life for our students. We look forward to coming back to school in person soon so that we can get our students learning and riding."

Outride is committed to being where the need is the greatest. In the 2019-20 school year, 53% of the Riding for Focus students received free or reduced school lunches and 38% identify as non-white.

In addition to the Riding for Focus programs issued to date, Outride has awarded 43 Outride Fund matching grants supporting local cycling communities through education, trail building, and rider development.

Between the Riding for Focus program and the Outride Fund, Outride is committing $1.4 million to youth cycling initiatives in 2020. Go to outridebike.org.

Editor's note: Bo Larsen is director of communications and community engagement for Apache Junction Unified School District.