Statewide Youth Development

Cascade has served youth of color for more than 20 years by providing bicycling education and leadership skills in afterschool clubs throughout King and Pierce County via our Major Taylor Project. Now, similar youth development and bike education curriculum is expanding statewide thanks to the creation of the School-Based Bicycle Safety Education Curriculum administered by the Washington State Department of Transportation, which selected Cascade to design and implement the statewide expansion. The statewide expansion continues our commitment to closing equity gaps in access to bicycling and rolling education throughout Washington state.

In the pilot year of the program (2023-24), Cascade has partnered with three organizations: 2nd Cycle in Tacoma, Bike Works in South Seattle, and Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition in Bellingham. Each of these highly respected nonprofits serves their communities with passion and creativity to foster the development of young people. Our partners will help youth grow through road safety education, leadership development, community engagement, and hands-on bike experience. 

• Equity is central to this expansion. We are prioritizing partners with the highest need first, advancing goals of health, safety, and equity. 
• This expansion is the largest statewide youth development and bicycling skills initiative in the nation, making Washington a leader in addressing community needs through the benefits of bicycling and rolling.
• The long-term goal is to serve 10,000 youth throughout Washington through rolling and cycling education over the next 15 years. Through this initiative, we will increase the number of youth engaging in cycling as active transportation throughout the state.
• In 2023, we began reaching out to identify and get to know potential partners across Washington including youth development organizations, housing authorities, bike clubs, transportation planners, and nonprofits whose mission aligns with this project’s goals.
   

2024-2025 Grant Process

Bicycling and adaptive cycling provide the opportunity for youth to reach new destinations, gain independence, build community, improve fitness, and learn leadership skills. Increasing knowledge of road safety and providing access to bikes can change the landscape of Washington. Over the next 16 years, we aim to reach 10,000 youth by partnering with youth development organizations across the state.