New Partnership with “Girls Build”
We launched a new partnership this spring with a new organization! For six weeks this year, six girls participated in an after-school “Become a Bike Mechanic” camp with an all-female instructor team. Girls Build has an overall focus on teaching girls hands-on skills and letting them know that jobs in the trades are a possibility for them. We were excited and flattered that they asked us to partner!
Cycling Center Education Coordinator Andrea Chiotti worked with Girls Build staffers to plan this pilot program, in which their program participants came to our shop for a series of practical lessons in bike maintenance. Camp Manager Kelley Goodwin and Assistant Camp Manager Maddeline McGraw rounded out our team. Girls Build provided one instructor from Gladys Bikes, and a past Girls Build Instructor volunteered for many of the classes, providing a nearly 1:1 adult:youth ratio. Each participant “earned” a bike and helmet to keep, through their attendance, much to their delight. Two girls also learned to ride (the others already knew)! It was a great experience for us and for them, and we are already working to plan continuing collaborations with Girls Build!
