Hi Lauren,Your approach to developing your Earn-A-Bike program sounds great! I love the inclusion of "soft skills" in addition to mechanics.I'm attaching Recycle-A-Bicycle's Earn-A-Bike curriculum outline, as it is in a sense a checklist of what's covered and measured in the program. While the program is both structured and flexible enough to meet each student at their personal pace and experience level, we have found that keeping closer track on each student's ability and development has become increasingly important, especially when it comes to making sure students are "job ready" should they wish to apply for a job in a bike shop. This outline was developed with that in mind.
Also, I'm not sure if you're familiar with Tools for Life. It's a publication Recycle-A-Bicycle put together back in 1996 -- you'll see it's outdated in certain areas yet most of the information can be applied to youth programs / Earn-A-Bike programs today. Here's the link in case it's helpful: http://www.transalt.org/files/resources/toolsforlife/Best,PasqualinaYouth Bike | DirectorYouth Bike transforms our local communities and strengthens our national movement by empowering bicycle leaders.On Wed, Apr 30, 2014 at 4:21 AM, DancesWithCars <danceswithcars@gmail.com> wrote:
<a href="http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org/pasqualina%40youthbikesummit.org?unsub=1&unsubconfirm=1">Unsubscribe from this list</a>Online below, hunt n peck on tablet...
~~~~~~~~~~~ typing impaired by device, so phlat. NB: BigBro monitors all, dude/[ette].... BackusNaurFormat forgotten. Lied to re: Del msgs. MailHoardersAnon*
On Apr 29, 2014 8:57 PM, "Lauren Warbeck" <lauren.warbeck@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> That's a great idea, and I think a really necessary feature of any youth program.> I struggle with negotiating how much to lead/guide and how much to follow/facilitate on youth projects.
# times taken tools out of kids/adults hands
# times shown
# of repeats
# lessons learned
Safety issues
MoralSee one, do one, teach one
Constant influx of new students, say summer break, or all at once?
Help noob setup, cleanup, etc
> Do you have input about that from your own experience?
# projects completed
> In this case, we've had a youth specifically request some way of gauging his progress so that he can take it to another bike shop, sort of like a resume.
So if asked that, several assignments/suggestions:
Find 3 want ads/job descriptions similar to what the student wants to be doing
Actual v internetCheck pay rates of said positions
Calculate out what living standard compared to parents, other goals, ( college, community college, that shiney red / black/ pink/ sparkly bike in the window, tool sets, rent on own shop, buying land, building, etc)
Students skills in that areas:
Sales ( bike knowledge: types (race, hybrid, mtn, recumbent, polo, single speed, electric, cruiser w motor added, custom, etc), makes, models, fit, people skills: friendliness, timeliness, correct answer v. WAG, humour, ...)
Customer service ( phone, walk in,
rate this help by customers/staff, implement suggestion box plan, approval ( present idea to group/coop), execute, evaluate, writeup, document (written, language/translate (say French -> English, Spanish, Mandarin, Japanese, Polish, Arabic, etc), video, present at youth bike summit, etc)Accounting / cash registering
% sales in the shop, mistake rate, cash out accuracies ( off by fraction of currency, or left register and missing major amounts), cash in procedure, etc)Stocking/
inventory ( name a random part, describe how it is used, pros/cons, compatability ( works with, doesn't fit x,y,z) etc)Business plan
Convert shop to coop,
Plan to attract new business, younger customers : include skateboards, Rollerblades, ice hockey, etc )
Open new store, etcMechanical:
Tires, inspect, inflate, replace, patch
Brakes, inspect, adjust, replace
Chain ( size?, inspect, removal w chain tool, bolt cutters, replace, install )
Derailleur ( front, back)
Cassette,...
Hubs
Cables ( which? Brake or shifting, , inspect, lube, replace)
Seat (post size, saddle type,...)
Accessories ( what else do you need? Lock? Bell? Lights, rack, water bottle cage, bottle, take offs, compatibilities " will this fit?" Why? Why not?...)
Bottom bracket
Crank arms
Pedals
Headset: threaded, thread less, selection, inspection, removal, install, press,
Fork ( aligned, etc )
Wheels (inspect, true, build, sizes 700c v. 27, 26, 29, widths, kids bikes, bmx, trailers, etc)Also, there are school requirements, attendance, timeliness, dress appropriately, breaks, etc)
Sound like a lot and breaking down into cleaner categories, refinement, review, rewrites/drafts, etc)
We did # of projects in high school (4=A, 3=B, etc)
So if a student asked you to do it, say for them ("creep & reep"), what would you say?
Time management in 30 hours sounds important, by x hours, y hours, z hours, min or max?
Extra credit?
Points for creativity
Find out why they want another shop?
Pay v volunteer, feel like slave labor, all work, no play, no group rides, etc
Personnel issue, etc
Resume building: did my time, outta here, grad for summer vacay, etc>
>
> On Tue, Apr 29, 2014 at 3:37 PM, DancesWithCars <danceswithcars@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Maybe have kids create their own goals and yardsticks?
>>
>> ~~~~~~~~~~~ typing impaired by device, so phlat. NB: BB monitors all, dude/[ette].... BNF forgotten. Lied to re: Del msgs. MHA*
>>
>> On Apr 29, 2014 5:35 PM, "Lauren Warbeck" <lauren.warbeck@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hey Folks!
>>>
>>> When not immersed in planning an Ohio-themed Bike! Bike! fundraiser dance party (!!!), I'm actually doing other for real work. Including the exploration of formats, documentation, and reporting for our youth volunteering and Earn-a-Bike programs.
>>>
>>> Here in British Columbia, high school students are required to complete something like 30 hours of work experience (ie free labour) to graduate, and we get a lot of youth completing this requirement at our shops. We also run pretty informal Earn-a-Bike programs for youth who are in unconventional education settings, accessing social services, in alternative programs, or can't access our in-school programming for any variety of reasons. Lots of these kids are really focused on getting a job, but we can rarely accommodate that.
>>>
>>> I'm in the process of creating a checklist/worksheet of mechanical and interpersonal skills acquired by youth as they volunteer in our spaces. The idea is that it would include gradients of skill, becoming increasingly more complex as time goes on. It would be used to guide their time in the shop, and also document what they've learned. It would be the youth's responsibility to fill the checklist out over time and have staff sign off on it, and when it's completed, we would write them a letter of recommendation to be used in applying for jobs, school, whateva.
>>>
>>> So....do yall have anything like this in place? Or any other relevant Earn-a-Bike or alternative youth programming materials I can creep and reap?
>>>
>>> SEND THEM TO ME!
>>>
>>> Thanks buddiez!
>>>
>>> Lauren @ OCB
>>>
>>> ____________________________________
>>>
>>> The ThinkTank mailing List
>>> <a href="http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org/danceswithcars%40gmail.com?unsub=1&unsubconfirm=1">Unsubscribe from this list</a>
>>>
>>>
>>
>> ____________________________________
>>
>> The ThinkTank mailing List
>> <a href="http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org/lauren.warbeck%40gmail.com?unsub=1&unsubconfirm=1">Unsubscribe from this list</a>
>>
>>
>
>
> ____________________________________
>
> The ThinkTank mailing List
> <a href="http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org/danceswithcars%40gmail.com?unsub=1&unsubconfirm=1">Unsubscribe from this list</a>
>
>
____________________________________
The ThinkTank mailing List
____________________________________
The ThinkTank mailing List
<a href="http://lists.bikecollectives.org/options.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org">Unsubscribe from this list</a>