Youth Bicycle Education
We understand the essential chemistry of kids and bikes. Yes, we run a bike shop, but our mission (and pleasure) is to weave local youth into every aspect of our activity, from learning basic bike skills to facing the entrepreneurial challenges of a bustling small business. Your participation, as a customer, donor or volunteer helps develop our resources and create a positive ripple effect in the lives of our young members, into the local community, and beyond.
The Earn-a-Bike Program: The foundation of Blackstone Bicycle Works program allows kids to participate in an active business while earning their way to a bicycle. Starting with flat repair and working up, Woodlawn children, aged 9-16, learn not only how to fix and maintain their own modes of transportation, but how to conduct themselves in a busy bikeshop setting. Once a child accumulates 25 hours in the shop, they can pick a bike from our refurbished selection, along with a new helmet and lock. Since 1994, the Earn-a-Bike Program has helped hundreds of Woodlawn children gain bicycle-mobility, practical skills, and self esteem.
New in 2008: in the current year, we are adding some new things to our youth program curriculum. In addition to organizing fun events and teaching fundamental bike skills, the program will expand to provide more in-depth learning opportunities. These include, a journalism writing workshop, an entrepreneurial workshop, and exciting "science days" where Physicists from our nearby neighbor, the University of Chicago, visit the shop with ideas and apparatus that help reveal the ways things work (think bikes and fun science here). As kids advance through our program these additions will help them develop skills for success in future educational studies and in gaining entry into the job market.
Youth Apprenticeship: The Youth Apprenticeship program was created to train our more advanced participants in the specifics of bike mechanics and shop operations. After learning the basics of bike mechanics, these teens then become paid members of the Blackstone crew during summer break. Apprentices work on customer repairs and provide customer service, while helping the Earn-a-Bike participants learn basic bike skills.
Learn how to sign up:Sign-up
.