Women's Shop Night
Hello Think Tank Collective!
We at Mobo are working on trying to get more women to participate in our women's open shop night. We normally have 1 or 2 women or those who gender identify as female come in. Women's night is held once a month, although we are piloting a 2nd day on a weekend to see if we can get more women in. Some of this is a response to request from members to have more weekend shop and a desire to see another women's night.
Do you have a lot of attendance at women's open shop (if you have one?) What are some ways that you've reached out to the women riders in your communities?
Thank you!
Ellie Jones MoBo Board Member
At Recycle-A-Bicycle in NYC, we see a lot of women and girls in our shop, as volunteers, customers, interns, and youth participants. We have a year round staff of 12, comprised of 6 men and 6 women. Two of the female mechanics at RAB were hired as high school students when they graduated our program and both now serve in leadership roles as an Instructor and Assistant Manager. I think the choices we make about who we hire can greatly contribute to the organizations and communities we create. Here's a piece that came out in the New York Times this past weekend that addresses some of these issues: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/11/nyregion/female-bike-mechanics-on-the-rise...
Also, what's your outreach for Women's Open Shop Night like? Maybe think about new/creative places and methods for sharing the information?
On Fri, Sep 16, 2011 at 12:01 PM, MoBo Bicycle Co-op < mobobicyclecoop@gmail.com> wrote:
Hello Think Tank Collective!
We at Mobo are working on trying to get more women to participate in our women's open shop night. We normally have 1 or 2 women or those who gender identify as female come in. Women's night is held once a month, although we are piloting a 2nd day on a weekend to see if we can get more women in. Some of this is a response to request from members to have more weekend shop and a desire to see another women's night.
Do you have a lot of attendance at women's open shop (if you have one?) What are some ways that you've reached out to the women riders in your communities?
Thank you!
Ellie Jones MoBo Board Member
-- MoBo Bicycle Cooperative a project of The Village Green Foundation 1415 Knowlton St. Cincinnati, OH www.mobobicyclecoop.org
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit:
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Hi Ellie, Here are a few techniques to use for recruitment:
- Announce workshops as part of a broader theme i.e. Women's Month, Bike
Month, Mother's Day, Earth Day
- Targeted outreach i.e. firewomen, policewomen, female teachers in the
school that you may support, mothers of the students, local bike club
- Word of mouth - encourage female customers to attend
Once you get a lady through the door, it is important to:
- create a supportive, empowering environment;
- vary projects so people can repeat lessons or move to a new lesson;
- ask regular volunteers to adopt a newcomer and mentor her through a
lesson;
- invite people to learn about and get involved in other aspects of your
work (i.e be a judge of a children's essay contest; participate as a ride club chaperone; help do a mailing, etc.)
- encourage interesting dialogue - bike advocacy was a popular topic at
ours, but never dominated an evening. Other environmentalists or teachers would talk about their work too
- organize a social gathering after the lesson (we used to go for a beer
after we closed the shop)
- create a volunteer recognition event, honoring regular participants or
organize a weekend ride
These are some of the things that immediately come to mind. Karen
On Fri, Sep 16, 2011 at 12:01 PM, MoBo Bicycle Co-op < mobobicyclecoop@gmail.com> wrote:
Hello Think Tank Collective!
We at Mobo are working on trying to get more women to participate in our women's open shop night. We normally have 1 or 2 women or those who gender identify as female come in. Women's night is held once a month, although we are piloting a 2nd day on a weekend to see if we can get more women in. Some of this is a response to request from members to have more weekend shop and a desire to see another women's night.
Do you have a lot of attendance at women's open shop (if you have one?) What are some ways that you've reached out to the women riders in your communities?
Thank you!
Ellie Jones MoBo Board Member
-- MoBo Bicycle Cooperative a project of The Village Green Foundation 1415 Knowlton St. Cincinnati, OH www.mobobicyclecoop.org
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit:
http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
participants (3)
-
Karen Overton -
MoBo Bicycle Co-op -
Pasqualina Azzarello