Nonprofits partner to launch bilingual after-school bike program

WENATCHEE — A bilingual after-school program teaching students bike repair and safety – while equipping them with everything they need to start – will launch in the Wenatchee Valley this fall.

The bike education program is co-led by Sustainable NCW’s Sustainable Bike CoOp and CAFÉ (Community for the Advancement of Family and Equity). It aims to teach students practical skills, such as repairing their bike and riding safely, as well as build confidence, camaraderie, and independence. The multi-week course will spend approximately 20 hours of bike repair and rider safety with students. At the end, they will earn their own bicycle, along with a helmet, bike lock, and lights.

“Biking is such a critical part of transportation in terms of sustainability, and also as an economic equalizer. And so we're hoping that it kind of creates this lifelong skill, love and understanding of using bikes,” said Freyja Bourke, Sustainable NCW Outreach and Education Coordinator.

The program builds on Sustainable Bike CoOp’s shorter 2-day workshops, which began this spring under a Department of Ecology grant. At the workshops, middle school students learn how to repair and maintain their bikes, with the opportunity to trade for a bike more suitable for their size and needs.

The new program is funded through a Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) grant administered by the Cascade Bicycle Club, the nation’s largest statewide bicycle nonprofit. In 2022, state legislation directed WSDOT to create the School-Based Bicycle Safety Education Program using the state’s Climate Commitment Act funding. WSDOT selected Cascade Bicycle Club to design and administer the program. When the grant became available, both Sustainable NCW and CAFÉ were separately interested in applying.

“We have four pillars that make up CAFÉ – family education, civic participation, leadership development, and also environmental justice – And really, all four of those do come into play with this,” said CAFÉ Executive Director Tonantzintla “Tona” Chacón.

Pairing Sustainable NCW’s bike knowledge and resources with CAFÉ’s extensive outreach experience, particularly through its Youth Empowerment and Support (YES) program, the two organizations applied together.

“We're kind of all working towards this same shared goal of a more sustainable and equitable world, and we've identified biking as a way to do that. And being able to partner with all three organizations [Cascade Bicycle Club included] makes us stronger, because we get to share our resources,” said Bourke.

This fall, the program will focus on underserved youth within Wenatchee and Eastmont High Schools, with Pinnacles Prep, Sterling and Eastmont Middle School joining in the spring, according to Bourke.

“It's important for all kids to have access to these opportunities and resources, and it's just something that we take great pride in here at Cafe with the work that we do,” said Chacón. “We're just happy to be a partner to Sustainable NCW, so that we can continue to reach our younger generation and provide them these opportunities for growth.”

Sustainable NCW is also looking for schools or libraries open to host its 2-day workshops, CoOp on the Go, this fall and spring. Interested hosts and volunteers can email bike@sustainablencw.org.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media