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EARN-A-BIKE
BICYCLE LEADERS
BICYCLE RIDES & TOURING
OUR SUMMER PLANS
YOUTH OUT SPOKE'N
PROGRAM CALENDAR
HENRY JACKSON-SPIEKER:
From Student to Teacher
Going on six years at Bike Works, Henry has pedaled the distance to get to where he is now. At the age of 12, Henry began the basic Earn-a-Bike class where he was first introduced to wrenching. After that it seemed he couldn't get enough and proceeded to take every single class and camp that we offered. Henry was an integral part of the very first Bike Works bike-touring trip. After facing the challenges of leaving home for the first time, camping in the woods, cycling 50 to 70 miles a day, day after day - Henry developed a love of the outdoors. He became a true leader for his peers and set a great example - that no matter how daunting the task, one can persevere, overcome, and wind up stronger when the sun sets.
Last summer Henry landed his first job as a bicycle mechanic at REI's Flagship store in downtown Seattle - and we quickly received feedback from his supervisors that his mechanical skills were outstanding, and quite frankly, that he was one remarkable 17 year old.
Coming full circle during the winter of 2008, the month he turned 18, Henry began teaching an Earn-a-Bike class of his own at Bike Works. Big eyed and squirmy, the 9- to 12-year-olds gathered in the classroom, soaking up his every word. They idolized him and his story, and he in turn learned that he liked to teach, and developed a newfound respect for those who had taught him - both here and at school.
This summer Henry co-presented at the national Pro Walk/Pro Bike Conference in Seattle on behalf of Bike Works, sharing his advice on how to successfully engage youth in bicycling programs. In the fall Henry will head off to Western Washington University to pursue a degree in glass-blowing and engineering. While we're sad to see Henry graduate from our programs, we couldn't be prouder of Henry and we look forward to what he will do in this world.
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Watch a video to learn more about how Bike Works is empowering young people to explore their worlds by bike.
EARN-A-BIKE
Learn how to fix bikes in a bicycle repair class! During the 8-week program you can practice your skills on bikes we repair and give back to the community. When you have worked 18 hours of community service on the bikes we donate, you can pick out and fix up your own bike, bike parts, or accessories! Every class graduate can continue to attend weekly drop-in Earn-a-Bike hours, practice their skills and earn community service hours until they turn 18.
BICYCLE LEADERS PROGRAM
There are ample opportunities available once you've graduated from the Earn-a-Bike classes. Take an Advanced Mechanics Class (once you've turned 13) and join our Bicycle Leaders program where you can earn extra hours by mentoring your peers, teaching others, and taking on more advanced work projects. Older youth can also work to become a ride leader apprentice on our summer camps or a bicycle mechanic apprentice in the Bike Works shop!
BICYCLE RIDES
Once you've learned bicycle safety and have been through our programs you can go on bike rides with us and explore your world by bicycle. We have a number of riding opportunities at Bike Works including our Street Burners bike club, our RIDES club, bike touring opportunities and bike riding summer camps for youth ages 9-17!
STREET BURNERS
Get outside and on your own two wheels in our youth-driven Street Burner's bike
club. We will take you out on BMX, road, and mountain bikes; we play bike polo, make bike art, and learn bicycle safety, watch bike movies and more! Once you've graduated from Earn-a-Bike you can be in the club until you turn 18.
RIDES CLUB
In our eight week RIDES club we welcome youth who want to increase their road riding skills and get out and explore their communities. There are RIDES club programs during the school year, as well as RIDES summer camps - also known as RIDES (ride, investigate, discover the environment & society) - where you can spend the week exploring the urban environment by bicycle and creating your own map of the city!
BICYCLE TOURING
Get out of town in one of our bike touring camps! Learn how to support yourself through your own pedal power while exploring the State of Washington. Talk about the places we are traveling through with the group, discuss social justice and environmental issues, and challenge yourself to be all you can be! All bike touring camps are age-specific and our progression of bike touring options from beginning to advanced will fit every need - we're sure you'll have a great time riding with us and making new friends!
OUR SUMMER CAMPS
Don't have any plans for the summer? Have a week or two to spare? Join the Bike Works crew in our variety of summer camps and we are sure you'll find one that suits you. We offer riding camps, bike touring camps, and day bike camps so check them out and call us today!
YOUTH OUT SPOKE'N
Learn more about the important work our youth are doing for the community. Join us, bring your ideas, and get inspired!
PARTNERSHIPS
We offer custom courses for local schools and other community-based organizations. A few of the options include single-day bicycle repair classes, multi-day training rides, after-school programs, and up to eight-week courses to get a bike or simply learn bike repair. Please let us know if we can send you flyers for your school, parents group, or organization - and contact us if you are interested in finding a way to partner with us!
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