Youth Earn-A-Bike (YEAB)

Youth Earn-a-Bike is a program designed to facilitate access to bicycles for youth that face barriers to bicycle ownership. This is achieved by:

• Teaching youth aged 14-19 how to fix bicycles
• Providing guidance as participants refurbish a bike to take home at no cost to them
• Providing bike skills training and safety equipment to promote safe riding practices 

Youth who have successfully completed the Youth Earn-a-Bike program leave with their new bicycle as well as a helmet, lock, bell and lights.

The Youth Earn-a-Bike program consists of six weekly sessions divided into two major sections: Mechanical Skill Development, and Commuter-Savvy Cycling Skills.

The Mechanical Skill Development section (5 weeks) provides participating youth with basic and intermediate bicycle mechanics skills as they work to build their own bicycle. Participants select a frame from B!KE’s stock of donated bicycles, and use recycled parts from the shop’s inventory of used parts to rebuild it. Each week, a hands-on workshop focussing on a specific aspect of bicycle repair allows participating youth to rebuild their bicycles step-by-step.

The Commuter-Savvy Cycling Skills section (1 week) focusses on skill development in areas such as: helmet fit, bicycle handling, starting and stopping, signaling, navigating traffic, understanding traffic laws, and commuter tips. The program wraps with a group ride and pizza party.

Interested in applying or learning more? Please get in touch with Sunny Malik, Program Coordinator, at sunny@communitybikeshop.org.

Do you work with a community organization, and want to refer multiple clients to Youth Earn-a-Bike? We welcome collaborations with other charity, not-for-profit, or grassroots organizations. Please contact Sunny Malik, Program Coordinator, at sunny@communitybikeshop.org.