For the past couple of years a Youth Bike Summit has been held on the East coast and for the first time it’s headed out West this year. This is a great opportunity for any students, or people working with students, to get together to share information about youth, bikes and making a positive impact on communities. Here’s more information from the Summit organizers:
The Youth Bike Summit is a three-day conference geared toward youth, bikes, education, advocacy, and leadership. People from different disciplines, backgrounds, and ages gather together to learn, share, network, and explore how bicycling can be a catalyst for positive social change. There will be keynote speakers, hands-on workshops, panel presentations (many led by youth), and many other opportunities for youth and adults to share ideas about what biking can mean for youth, families, communities, and our planet. Check out these videos to learn more and take a peek at these photos from last year’s event.
This touchstone national event offers a youth and adult Keynote presentation, 30+ engaging workshops, hands-on
activities, a thought-provoking visioning session with youth and adults working in communities near and far. By creating a space where ideas from bicyclists of all ages can be heard, we seek to create a more inclusive national dialogue that addresses the issues, rights, and concerns of all bicyclists.
In 2014, the Youth Bike Summit welcomed more than 500 youth and adult participants from 26 states and 4 countries. Based on the growth of the Youth Bike Summit and the momentum it’s generated since its inception in 2011, the event is going national! For the first time ever, the Youth Bike Summit will begin to travel and will be hosted this year by Bike Works in Seattle, WA.
HISTORY: In March 2010, Recycle-A-Bicycle (RAB) (based in Brooklyn, NY) attended the League of American Bicyclists’ National Bike Summit with two high school interns who had completed a comprehensive job training program and Earn-A- Bike program. 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 by bike, attended the conference, and lobbied elected officials. As the group debriefed on the bus ride home, we discussed the importance of engaging youth in the national dialogue of cycling education and advocacy. As a result, the idea of the Youth Bike Summit came into being. Both young advocates were active participants in the planning of the conference in 2011.
Youth Bike Summit 2015
WHEN: February 13-15, 2015
WHERE: Various venues in the Columbia City neighborhood in SE Seattle HOSTED BY: Bike Works 3709 S. Ferdinand, Seattle WA 98118
ADMISSION: $25/youth; $50/adult
For more information about Bike Works – www.bikeworks.org
For more information about the Youth Bike Summit – www.youthbikesummit.org
Contact:
Pasqualina Azzarello, Director of Youth Bike (917) 202-2028 pasqualina@youthbikesummit.org Deb Salls, Executive Director of Bike Works (206) 695-2607 deb@bikeworks.org