PROJECTS - TOOLS FOR LIFE

Tools for Life

Tools For Life teaches youth about bike mechanics, giving them the chance to repair their own bikes or earn a bike of their own. The project not only shares its love of bicycles, the numerous health, fitness and environmental benefits of bicycling, but also encourages youth to participate in their communities via community mapping, rides, events and the creation of bicycle based puppetry, art and parades.

As a community of educators, artists, and bicycle enthusiasts we have been inspired by our work with youth. We have seen a specific need and desire within the Austin community for more youth bicycle education programs. What started as informal workshops in our local community bike shops turned into a variety of classes at area schools. In 2006 we hosted a two week summer camp in bicycle maintenance/repair and parade arts at Brooke Elementary. Now the project teaches after-school classes at AISD elementary schools in east Austin.

The Tools For Life program has a unique approach to bicycles, transportation, art and mechanics. We believe that combining the fun of riding bicycles with the necessary skills to repair them and the creation of a tangible project that makes use of the bicycles, brings youth a unique educational experience and an important set of skills. During the program youth are given the oppertunity to repair either their own bike or a bike that they earn through the course of the program.

Our goal is to create hands on learning opportunities for youth via the bicycle. Bicycles provide youth with independence, responsibility, exercise and sustainable transportation. Bicycle education programs can be directly related to classroom curricula in order to reinforce knowledge and skills. In the future we would also like to use our programming to create youth employment via community bicycle outreach and bicycle repair stations at community events. We are dedicated to making our curriculum as accessible as possible to students from a variety of backgrounds.

During the 2006-2007 school year we taught weekly classes at Brooke Elementary, Kealing Middle School and occasional classes at the Alamo Rec Center and Meadowbrook Community Center. For the 2007-2008 school year we plan to continue at Brooke Elementary, pilot a community mapping and bicycle repair project at Kealing MS, teach classes at Pierce MS and offer our programming to area community and recreation centers as well as continue to collaborate with local community groups.

The project is generously supported by City of Austin Cultural Contracts, the Funding Exchange, various private donors, Cycle Circus Austin, Austin's Yellow Bike Project, Bikes Across Borders, the Theatre Action Project, the Austin Cycling Association. Bike needed to run the program are donated by The Yellow Bike Project and Bikes Across Borders. Bicycle helmets and safety training for our youth are provided through a partnership with the Austin Cycling Association.

If you are interested in finding out more about our programs please contact us at toolz4life@yahoo.com