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October 26, 2023

BSQ Mini-Grant Program Exceeds Goal and Funding

Since 2018, nearly 400 public and private schools in Illinois have participated in Ride Illinois’ BikeSafetyQuiz Mini-Grant program. Schools receive $2 for each student who completes one of our online quizzes. Funding is provided by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) with federal 405h funds with a goal of increasing safety for all users and reducing crashes on Illinois roads. 

Summary of 2022-2023 School Year

In the 2022-2023 school year, over 66,000 students completed one of our online quizzes – a 27.8% increase over the previous year! Here are some statistics related to the latest cycle of BSQ Mini-Grants:

  • 64 elementary and middle schools assigned our Child Bicyclist Quiz – a 16% increase over 2021-2022
  • 144 high school drivers ed programs assigned our Motorist Quiz – the same number as 2021-2022
  • 31 high schools assigned our Adult Bicyclist Quiz – a 63% increase over 2021-2022
  • 72 schools participated for the first time 
  • 131 schools also requested a Spanish version of a quiz
  • Individual claims ranged from 11 students to 2,101 students

Funding Shortfall

We’re pleased that the BSQ Mini-Grant program continues to grow. More students learning to ride their bike safely and drive safely near bicyclists is definitely a good thing. In lieu of safe bike/walk curriculum that Illinois schools can leverage, the BSQ Mini-Grant program is an important tool.

Ride Illinois received 117K from IDOT to distribute to schools that participated in the program during the 2022-2023 school year. 132K was needed to process all the claims which leaves a 15K funding gap. Generous individuals have donated 3K to our BSQ Mini-Grant Shortfall campaign. To reimburse schools in a timely manner, the Ride Illinois board agreed to use reserve funds to temporarily address the funding shortfall.

We’re actively seeking donations to close the remaining 12K funding gap. No donation is too small! A $20 donation provides funding for 10 students. A $50 donation provides funding for 25 students. Click the button below to make a donation to close this funding gap.

Donate to BSQ Mini-Grant Campaign

A Program with a Wide Reach

Our BSQ Mini-Grant program is a great example of an initiative that reaches communities of all sizes in Illinois. Check out our Bike-Friendly Illinois Map to get a sense of how far-reaching this program is. The map  includes a layer with a pin for all the schools that have benefited from this program. Click on a pin to learn how many students in an individual school has completed each year and overall since 2018. 

How Schools Use the Funds

The BSQ Mini-Grant application now includes a question about how schools use the funds they receive. It’s great to learn more about the impact the funds are having on schools and their students. Here are a few of the responses that we’ve received from teachers:

  • “We buy student driver magnets for every student”
  • “We use the money for our teen safety club to promote safe driver initiatives”
  • “We have used it to buy signage for the Drivers’ Ed vehicles”
  • “To buy classroom supplies for health and pedestrian safety”
  • “We have given it to the school SADD program to use for Red Ribbon Week and other projects”
  • “The money is then used to pay for field trips for students who do not have the funds to pay”
  • “We used the funds for a school-wide activity”
  • “To educate students about the Tunnel Hill trail in Vienna, IL”
  • “We have used the funds to provide playground equipment for our students!”
  • “To purchase building materials, coding robots, and games for my critical thinking class”
  • “We deposit the grant money into the classroom funds for the teacher to use for field trips”
  • “We plan to buy new brakes for our drivers ed cars”
  • “We bought GoPros to use in the car. This will give our students a new level of instruction as they can play back and watch their lessons”

2023-2024 BSQ Mini-Grants

IDOT has committed to funds for 55,000 students to complete a quiz this school year. Nearly 250 schools have already applied! Several schools have assigned our quiz, which means their students are already smarter, safer, more educated bicyclists and drivers.

If the program grows at a pace similar to last year, we’ll look for creative solutions and additional funding sources. In the meantime, feel free to share information about our BikeSafeyQuiz Mini-Grant program with the teachers and schools in your community.

Contact Ride Illinois at info@rideillinois.org or (630) 216-9282 with questions about our BikeSafetyQuiz Mini-Grant program.