Hello everyone,
As you noticed from yesterday’s post, there is a holiday this week. That means that our programming office will be closed down the rest of the week. So I may just skip posting a Friday Opinion piece this week to give you a rest from my ramblings.
However, I didn’t want to leave you with nothing to check out on the Hub’s website. Last Friday I had the privilege of going out to visit our program we are doing in collaboration with Detroit Community Schools. Over at DCS, they invested in buying tools and work stands so their students can have an after school “bike club”. We started this collaboration last year with the purchase of tools, stands and all the messy steps to starting a program. A group of eighth grade students were able to earn bikes last year from the Hub. We supplied the bikes and staff. DCS purchased the tools and provided the space.
This school year we have a group of sixth graders more than halfway through their program. Like any group of sixth graders can be, it was chaotic and bursting with energy. But within this whirlwind of kids running around there was wheel truing, brakes adjustments, bottom bracket cleaning and pedal removal going on.
How our staff member, Nate, does that on a regular basis I will never know. That takes energy to keep up with. But it is also energizing to see this kids own their shop and take on projects on their own. Each of them seemed to want to show me what they could do. Below is a video I made with one of the students to demonstrate how to remove a rusty pedal. Check it out:
The future of Detroit, something to be thankful for.
– jason x