Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce the Youth Bike Summit! Inspired by the National Bike Summit that takes place each year in Washington DC, the Youth Bike Summit will address youth, cycling, education, and advocacy. We are currently seeking speakers, workshop leaders, and moderators for the three day conference. Please see the outline and forms below and feel free to share and distribute as you see fit. And don't forget to save the date!

WHEN: Friday January 14 - Sunday January 16, 2011
WHERE: The New School in New York, NY

DESCRIPTION: The Youth Bike Summit is a three day gathering geared toward students, educators, and advocates in New York City and in the Northeast United States. The conference aims to bring people from different educational disciplines together to explore, network, and learn how bicycling can be a legitimate and safe form of transportation for today's youth. With this mission in mind, the Youth Bike Summit will offer educational workshops and panel discussions on subjects ranging from how to advocate for bike lanes to basic bike maintenance. It will also provide tools and information on fundraising and best practices for schools that wish to incorporate bikes into the physical fabric of the learning environment.

PROGRAM SCHEDULE:
Workshop Categories: Environment, Education, Policy, Management, and DIY (Do-It-Yourself)

Workshop Topics May Include: How to plan a bike-friendly neighborhood, How to get rid of traffic congestion, Cycling infrastructure, Bicycles as a form of sustainable transportation, Pedal Power and Carbon Footprint/Impact, How is foreign oil and wars related to youth and bicycling?, How to start an Earn-A-Bike program, How to start a Ride Club, How to conduct a Learn to Ride program, Bike Drivers Education, Bike Maintenance 101, Safe Routes to School, Map making as an organizing tool, Social Media, Fundraising, Directors Panel/Best Practices, Youth Entrepreneurship, Social Entrepreneurship, Student Organizing, etc.
ADMISSION: $10.00 per person for the three-day event

HISTORY: In March 2010, Recycle-A-Bicycle attended the National Bike Summit with two high school interns who had completed a comprehensive job training and Earn-A-Bike program at RAB.  Both participants learned they loved bicycles and expressed an interest in learning more about how bicycling fits into policy, the environment, social entrepreneurship, and community-building. Traveling to Washington DC for the first time, the 17 year old participants explored the nation's capital on an 8 mile bike tour led by a representative of WABA (Washington Area Bicyclist Association) and met with elected officials. Needless to say, we learned a lot. As we debriefed on the bus ride home, we discussed the importance of engaging youth in the national dialogue of cycling and cycling education. As a result, the idea of the Youth Bike Summit came into being. Both young advocates have been active participants in the planning of the conference thus far. Photos of our trip to DC can be seen here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Recycle-A-Bicycle/62453932286?v=photos&ref=ts#!/album.php?aid=159466&id=62453932286 and in this video by Streetfilms: http://www.streetfilms.org/voices-from-the-national-bike-summit/

FOR MORE INFORMATION:  More information can be found on Facebook and Recycle-A-Bicycle's Website

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and thank you for all the wonderful work you do! I look forward to hearing your ideas!

Best regards,
Pasqualina

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Pasqualina Azzarello
Executive Director
Recycle-A-Bicycle
Ph: 718-858-2972
Fax: 718-858-6201
http://www.recycleabicycle.org



--
Pasqualina Azzarello
Executive Director
Recycle-A-Bicycle
Ph: 718-858-2972
Fax: 718-858-6201
http://www.recycleabicycle.org