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BikeSafetyQuiz Mini-Grants

Apply for a 2025-2026 BSQ Mini-Grant

Mini-Grant Application

The application (for first-time applicants and renewing schools) include additional information and only a few questions. Every school that has applied over the past five years has been accepted.

After reviewing each application, Ride Illinois will send a link to the requested quiz (for students) and another link to track completed quizzes (for teachers and administrators). Once per semester (or once students have completed the quiz), teachers report how many students completed the quiz, then Ride Illinois will send a check to your school!

Ride Illinois invites you to join more than 420 Illinois schools that use BSQ to increase their students’ knowledge of bike safety.

Still not convinced?! Download this overview document that summarizes the BSQ Mini-Grant program’s impact and growth since 2018. 

About the Program

Are students in your school learning about bicycle safety – from both bicyclist and motorist perspectives? Are they learning the details of relevant state laws and how to avoid common car-bicycle crashes? Too many people learn only superficial knowledge of these topics.

Ride Illinois, your statewide bicycle advocacy organization, working with IDOT to improve safety of cyclists and motorists on the road, has an easy way to help.

Thanks to IDOT’s Injury Prevention funding, we are reimbursing Illinois schools $2 per student (up to $2,000 per school per grant year, higher if our grant funds allow) for staff time to assign and use our free, online BikeSafetyQuiz (BSQ) lessons as 20-30 minute online assignments. Over 340,000 Illinois students and others have used the interactive, quiz-based BSQ resource to close an education gap and to make our roads safer.

This year’s grant, which runs from October 1, 2025 to September 15, 2026 is available for three student audiences:

  • Child Bicyclist Quiz is appropriate for students in grades 4-8. Younger students can also participate with adult assistance.
  • Adult Bicyclist Quiz for high school Physical Education and Health students.
  • Motorist/Driver Education Quiz for high school Driver Education students.

Not sure which quiz is appropriate for your students? Before submitting your application, complete our Child Bicyclist Quiz and Adult Bicyclist Quiz to better understand the content and concepts included in each.

Resources for Teachers

Ride Illinois developed resources to support teachers and increase the effectiveness of BikeSafetyQuiz for students. 

Contact Ride Illinois at education@rideillinois.org with questions about the available resources.

Reimbursement Claim Form

The claim form at the button below must only be used by teachers whose application for a Mini-Grant has been approved by Ride Illinois.

Mini-Grant Claim Form

Once students have completed BikeSafetyQuiz for the quarter or semester, one teacher per school should submit for reimbursement. Ride Illinois will review and processes each claim. Then, a check will be mailed to the school within 30 business days.

How Mini-Grant Funds are Used

We asked teachers to share how their schools use BikeSafetyQuiz Mini-Grant funds. They were happy to share! Here are some of their responses:

  • “We used the funds for a school-wide activity”
  • “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”

Mini-Grant Program Summary

The following chart is updated quarterly to reflect the impact of this popular education program.