Gear Girls

2021 Recipient of $5,000

About Gear Girls

Gear Girls uses mountain biking, trail work, and snow sports to build confidence, outdoor competence, community, and character in young women grades 4-8. Girls learn practical skills in trail building, mountain biking, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing, while absorbing lessons in mindfulness, teamwork, and determination that will prepare them for life’s bigger challenges. Gear Girls is a project of the Arizona Trail Association, and is tuition-free for all participants!

"Girls don’t need another inspirational quote. They need opportunities to welcome challenges, to identify and overcome fears, to assess risk, to step up as leaders, to find community, to fall and dust themselves off–less talk, more rock!"

Julie Polovitch

Youth Outreach & Education Coordinator (Northern Arizona), Arizona Trail Association

Bikes, Snow, and Stewardship

A $5K grant from The Cairn Project will provide general support for this tuition-free program, including funding for transportation to increase program accessibility, and gear purchases to boost Gear Girls’ ability to make sure everyone is fully equipped for fun! Stewardship programs including trail work are woven into each season’s program, which includes weekly practice sessions that take girls on increasingly challenging terrain to build biking and snow sport skills!

Want to learn more about Gear Girls?