TEMPE — When PE coach Lance Dunlop discovered the organization All Kids Bike through the Strider Education Foundation, he knew it would be a perfect fit for his students.

Because of his perseverance, Rover Elementary School recently received balance bikes for its kindergarten class of 58 students.

All Kids Bike was launched in 2018 by the nonprofit Strider Education Foundation, based in South Dakota. The program aims to teach every kid in America how to ride a bike in their kindergarten physical education class.

All Kids Bike started operating in schools in 2020, when the program reached more than 230,000 children in 260 schools across 38 states.

Today, the program is in almost 1,700 schools across the country, with more than 160,000 kids currently learning to ride.

Dunlop recalled securing donor bikes from another school in November 2024 and surprising his kindergarteners with them before being officially involved with the program.

“It was right before winter break, and the kids just ate it up,” he said. “We did about two and a half weeks of it and they were really excited.”

According to Dunlop, 75% to 80% of Rover Elementary’s kindergarteners don’t know how to ride a bike.

“They are pretty terrified of a balance bike, which is what Strider bikes are,” Dunlop said.

A balance bike has no pedals, so riders must propel themselves by pushing their feet against the ground. The design allows children to focus on developing their sense of balance and learn to steer. Proponents of balance bikes say they promote independent riding more quickly than bikes with training wheels.

The PE coach said he has already seen a change in his students and believes the impact of the program will encourage an active, healthy lifestyle, and hopefully reduce their time using digital devices.

“The digital age is here and kids are more concerned about their screen time than they are getting outside and riding around,” Dunlop said.

Nichole Buchholz, public relations manager for All Kids Bike, refers to the bikes as the kids’ “first vehicle,” something that can build their confidence and give them an opportunity to experience freedom.

“We hear nothing but positive things from our PE teachers about how easy it was to implement, how much the kids enjoy it and how far they’ve come, from being uncomfortable on the bikes to being master balancers and peddlers,” she said.

Buchholz said she would love for the organization to have a nationwide reach. In Arizona, there are 34 programs, and Buchholz estimates about 3,400 kids are learning to ride a bike each year in them.

Schools often find the program on their own, however, donors of All Kids Bike like the HDR Foundation also come forward and select schools they would like to include, Buchholz said. The HDR Foundation provides grants in the areas of education, healthy communities and environmental stewardship.

More than 15 corporate donors support All Kids Bike’s curriculum and equipment. The bikes have a projected 10-year lifespan and are easy for teachers to maintain.

“Our bikes have airless tires so that the teachers don’t have to worry about airing up those tires every class period or once a week, “ Buchholz said.

The impact of the program continues to grow, and Bucholz said their goal is to have All Kids Bike in 5,000 schools in the next five years.