We are thrilled to announce that 20 recipients have been awarded the SJ Brooks Scholarship for 2021! Give a big congrats to all the recipients!
👏 👏 👏
We received 126 applications, and the reality is that there were more qualified applicants than we had scholarships to give. Thank you to all who applied and shared parts of yourselves with honesty, vulnerability, and badassery.
Why does the SJ Brooks Scholarship matter?
The scholarship seeks to increase access to cycling opportunities for Black, Indigenous, and people of color who are trans, woman, non-binary, intersex, two-spirit, and/or genderqueer. During an ongoing pandemic and racial reckoning, the scholarship focused on reducing the financial and material barriers required to pursue a spirited bicycle endeavor, with a focus on self-care.
By selecting these 20 individuals, the SJ Brooks Scholarship Committee and RAR team sought to honor intersecting identities within race, gender, and roles in the cycling community. We believe that these recipients embody cyclists who use the bicycle as a powerful tool for liberation, transformation, community, and mental health.
We honor the legacy and life of SJ Brooks, a community organizer, educator, friend, and nature bike lover. We celebrate their life with each push on our pedals to fuel our spirits, minds, hearts, and body.
Recipients Received
Up to 20 scholarships were given based on need which included:
💸 20 $666 to $2k cash stipends
⚡ 3 new e-bikes from Specialized Bikes
✨ 1 gravel bike with a complete bikepacking bag setup from Corvid Cycles
✨1 gravel bike from Crust Bikes
💖 10 gear packages valued at $800
Supported By
Thank you to the cycling community and industry for showing up and raising over $24k for the scholarships. Your financial donation allowed recipients to get up to $2k for their spirited endeavor and helped support a committee to oversee the application process. We also received 10 gear packages valued at $800 each and bikes for 5 recipients.
CYCLING GEAR
@adventurecycling @makeshifter @blackburndesign @explorethousand @microcosm_pub @parktoolblue
@dynaplug
OUTDOOR GEAR
Scholarship Committee
Financial donations to the SJ Brooks Scholarship helped support a contributor to oversee the scholarship program and a committee to oversee the application process.