Biking Toward the Future

For youths, the bicycle offers an accessible and exciting entrypoint into exploring their community and gaining independence. For Blackstone Bicycle Works (BBW), the bicycle also presents an opportunity to open young minds to their own capabilities and possibilities for their futures. 

This summer, Blackstone Bicycle Works hosted three 2-week free summer camps in Chicago’s Woodlawn neighborhood, offering 39 participants ages 9-18 a rich, immersive experience centered around the bicycle.

Aprons donned and tools in their hands, participants learned the many parts of a bike, mastered the flat fix, and adjusted brakes, developing problem solving and patience, while building confidence in their abilities. ”This was great,” one parent exclaimed. “It got her out of her comfort zone and off her phone!”

On a field trip to the Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago, youth engaged in interactive workshops, gaining a basic understanding of AI principles and robotics, fueling their curiosity about the intersection of technology and problem-solving. 

A visit to the 61st Street Farmers Market garden introduced campers to fresh produce through tastings and hands-on gardening experiences. They learned how to prepare healthy snacks to fuel them on their rides. One youth shared, “I didn’t think I’d like new foods, but now I love trying different things!”

Art activities allowed participants to express their creativity, including decorating and personalizing their own bicycle helmet, so crucial for cycling safety.

Encouraging our high schoolers to begin to envision their future, BBW also provided career and college counseling, where they explored potential educational paths and learned about BBW-sponsored college and vocational school scholarships.

By the end of their summer camp experience, participants had discovered that the bike can take them to places and a future they had not previously imagined.