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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.
Click here to download a PDF of our 2009 Program Plans.
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BICYCLE LEADERS PROGRAM
The basic ideas behind this program are: first, to get our older youth actively engaged in graduated levels of community service at Bike Works; second, to encourage them to think about their role as models and leaders to the younger kids here; and third, to give them a real sense of contribution to the organization as they develop their skills and become young adults looking for paid work (possible careers) and ways to contribute to their larger communities.
In the past, our programs have not catered specifically to teenagers at Bike Works. With the American car culture as strong as it is, and the need for youth to continue to feel that they are learning and being challenged to grow – over time we found that as the participants turned 14 they were losing interest in Earn-a-Bike and what we had to offer, and they were moving on to other pursuits. The Bicycle Leaders Program, along with our Advanced Mechanic Classes, is our first real attempt to combat this trend, and to offer a viable (both for the youth and this organization) outlet for the teenagers who are interested in staying active with bikes, bike rides, working with youth, and trying to find future employment as a bike shop employee or a bike ride trip leader.
The Bicycle Leaders Program is open to graduates of our Advanced Mechanic Classes (youth must be 13-17 to be a part of these classes). The program has four tiers and the first three tiers occur in the classroom. The final tier – called the Apprenticeship – is broken down into three sections and has as many hours as the first three tiers combined. There is both a Ride Leader Apprenticeship and a Bike Mechanic Apprenticeship – the youth can pick one or the other, or choose to pursue both at different times.
BICYCLE MECHANIC LEADERS
Our bike shop apprentice program gives youth the skills they would need to start working in a shop on advanced mechanic work, with the knowledge of how to open and close a shop, how to navigate public interactions and customer transactions on the register, and how to become a successful mechanic. We have placed graduates at Bike Works and at many bike shops around Seattle.
BICYCLE RIDE LEADERS
We have created a leadership training program for youth that includes work in risk management, ride safety, basic CPR/first aid training, environmental education, youth education, and mentoring. Our goal, much like the work we are conducting within our bike shop, is to hire youth as apprentice trip leaders for our camps with younger youth during the summer.
Bike Works is excited about the opportunities for these apprenticeship programs!
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