The 2024 Education Program Season Recap
As 2024 comes to a close and we call on riders around the state to donate to our end-of-year fundraiser, Fund the Adventure, we're excited to share all that we accomplished in our Education Program throughout 2024.
The Evergreen Education Program celebrated another remarkable year in 2024, with exciting growth in the instructor community and adaptive mountain biking (aMTB) programs. Youth participation remained strong, volunteers stepped up in incredible ways, and new innovations—like on-trail classes and expanded inclusivity training—helped create even more welcoming, engaging, and high-quality experiences for riders across Washington.
2024 Highlights
Youth Mountain Bike Camps
Evergreen’s popular Dirt Camps celebrated their fourteenth year, with 51 sessions across 5 locations and 3 chapters. These camps engaged 589 young riders, providing an exciting introduction to mountain biking in a supportive environment.
- Cascades to Sound Chapter:
- Duthie Hill Park: 16 sessions
- BDOS: 6 sessions, including 2 girls-only camps
- Swan Creek: 6 sessions
- North Bend: 1 balance bike program for 2–5-year-olds
- Central Chapter:
- Squilchuck State Park: 6 sessions
- Leavenworth Ski Hill: 6 sessions, with one session in partnership with Wenatchee River Institute
- East Chapter:
- Camp Sekani: 8 sessions, including a girls-only camp and one for 4–6-year-olds
Youth Mentors
Volunteer youth mentors played a vital role in camps, assisting coaches, building relationships with campers, and developing leadership skills. Their contributions made a lasting impact on the program's success.
Skills Clinics
Evergreen’s skills clinic program catered to riders of all levels, with updates to instructor certifications and innovative class offerings.
- Program Totals:
- 107 skills clinics
- 23 private lessons
- 1,200 students
- On-Trail Classes:
Piloted at Raging River and Tiger Mountain, these classes offered advanced terrain exploration under the guidance of certified instructors, with plans to expand in 2025. - Instructor Development:
Scholarships were awarded to 8 instructors for certifications in Wilderness First Aid and PMBIA, ensuring high-quality coaching across the state. Inclusivity training was also integrated into instructor sessions to foster welcoming environments for all riders.
Crank Sisters Women’s Program
This program flourished in 2024, hosting 61 group rides and welcoming 353 women+ riders into the community.
Volunteer Heroes
Evergreen’s 90 volunteer instructors donated over 1,000 hours, leading skills classes, supporting community programs, mentoring, and improving program operations. Their dedication is the backbone of the Education Program’s success.
Community Education & Partnerships
Evergreen continues to champion diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) goals, partnering with community organizations to provide greater access to mountain biking.
- 196 students benefited from partnership and scholarship programs.
- $9,800 in scholarships awarded to 53 participants in classes and camps.
Key Partnerships
- After School MTB Programs (Central Chapter):
Partnered with local school districts to host 8 Intro to MTB courses for 108 students. - Outdoors for All (Cascades to Sound Chapter):
Hosted 2 aMTB series for 11 participants, piloted an intermediate class at Stevens Pass Bike Park, and held aMTB-specific rides at events like the Evergreen MTB Festival.
“I thought adaptive mountain biking would be a fun way to exercise outdoors, I didn’t realize it would help me feel connected to a community.” - 2024 aMTB program participant
- Major Taylor Project (Cascades to Sound Chapter):
Supported a mountain bike class for 12 underserved youth riders. - Refuge Fest (Cascades to Sound Chapter):
Offered an Intro to MTB class for 12 BIPOC riders at this outdoor-focused event. - Trail Updates for aMTB Riders:
Trails at Raging River were modified to accommodate adaptive riders and a project began at the Trek at Tehaleh to assess and rate trails with adaptive bikes and riders in mind.
As Evergreen reflects on the successes of 2024, the focus remains on fostering inclusive, innovative, and community-driven education programs. With the continued support of staff, volunteers, and partners, 2025* promises to bring even greater opportunities for riders of all abilities to discover the joy of mountain biking.
We encourage you to help Fund the Adventure with a donation this holiday season! Your dollars will go back to our Education Program as we work to expand our offerings and get more people on bikes across the state.
*2025 Summer Youth Dirt Camps open for registration on January 21st, and Skills Clinics will open for registration in March.