[YellowBike] Yellowbikes & local Schools?

[itw02 at hampshire.edu]

Hey Yellowbikers,

The Hilltown Bike Club in Haydenville (West of Noho) recently conntacted us 
with the hope of connecting our two programs. The following explains their 
project and how we could become involved with it. This could be really exciting 
for anybody whose interested in bikes, youth, and community development. Email 
Aaron or I and we'll get you hooked up with them.
Tires on the town,
Ian
itw02 at hampshire.edu


---------------
Hilltown Bike Club - Mission Statement: 
HBS teaches students from Hilltown Cooperative Charter School to rebuild and 
repair bikes from donated used bikes and bike parts.  These bikes will in turn 
be donated back to families in the community who could otherwise not afford 
bicycles.  HBS gives participants an opportunity to participate in a meaningful 
community service project while developing the skills to service their own 
bikes, and fosters both their independence and cooperative working skills.  HBS 
helps promote the principles of a sustainable community through the reuse and 
maintenance of bicycles.  It also provides a viable and practical 
transportation option for Pioneer Valley residents.   
  
HBS Program Logistics: 
Currently, the club meets on Fridays from 3-5 PM.  We typically have between 5-
10 students each club session.  Currently, we've limited the club to grades 5-
8.  At club sessions, students have the opportunity to work on their own bikes 
or on bikes that will be donated to the community.  We ask that students spend 
atleast half of their time working on bikes that will be donated to the 
community.   
  
School Logistics: 
Hilltown Cooperative Charter School is located in Haydenville, on Rt 9, 
approximately 10 minutes west of Northampton (~25-30 minutes from Hampshire 
College).  It is located in the former Brassworks Factory.  We have access to a 
screened in pavillion to store bicycles and tools, and have permission to hold 
club sessions in the school's "all-school" space.   
  
Hampshire Yellow Bike's potential role: 
The two coordinators (Noah and Jacob) of HBC are leaving in mid-March.  We are 
looking for volunteers to take our place by supervising afterschool work 
sessions.  This is an opportunity to expand the Hampshire Yellow Bike program, 
and to give Hampshire students solid experience teaching and with youth 
development.  Anyone interested in helping with this program is strongly 
encouraged to visit the school during one of the remaining work sessions, (Feb 
27th, March 5th, and March 12th).   
  
  


Newspaper article on the Hilltown Bike Club:


Youth recycle thoise old bikes 
By NANCY H. GONTER 
>From The Hampshire/Franklin County Republican  Monday, January 26, 2004 
  
HAYDENVILLE - Thirteen-year-old Liam N. Richardson rides a bicycle all the time 
in good weather, but has never known how to fix it.  Now, Liam and 10 other 
students at the Hilltown Cooperative Charter School are getting the chance to 
learn how to fix their own bikes and at the same time helping to restore old 
bicylces that will be given to needy children.  
  
"We're going to be building bikes for people who can't afford them.  I think 
bikes are a fun thing, and it would be nice to give bikes to people who want 
them and can't have them," said Liam, a Northampton resident and an eigth-
grader at the school.  
  
Two members of the Hawley based Student Conservation Association, Jacob A. 
DeMott and Noah D. Pollock, who teach environmental education at the charter 
school, are working with pupils after school in the Hilltown Bike Club.
 
This gives students an opportunity to participate in a meaningful community 
service project while developing the skills to service their own bikes, and 
fosters both their independent and cooperative working skills," DeMott said.   
  
Pupils involved in the program said they love having the opportunity to learn 
about bicycles.   
  
Kirin S. Bourgeois, 12, a sixth-grader from Goshen, said he has a few bikes at 
home and they all need work.  Two were donated to the program.   

"I think I could have fun fixing up my bikes and maybe I could make a living 
out of it and donate them to people who can't buy bikes," Kirin said.   
  
Harpo Marchand Jaeger, 12, a seventh-grader from Northampton, said he already 
knew a little about fixing bikes because his dad taught him.   
  
"I'm finding I know a lot less about bikes that I thought I did and that this 
is very fun to do.  I think it's really cool to be able to build your own 
bike," he said.