YOUTH BIKE SUMMIT 2012

WHEN: Friday January 13 - Sunday January 15, 2012
WHERE: The New School 66 W 12th St New York, NY
ADMISSION: $10/youth; $25/adult

KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez

OVERVIEW: Recycle-A-Bicycle's Youth Bike Summit is a three day gathering geared toward youth, bicycles, education, and advocacy. This national conference aims to bring people from different disciplines to explore, network, and learn how bicycling can be a legitimate and safe form of transportation for today's youth. Planned with a Steering Committee of officers and educators from youth bike education programs throughout the country, the Youth Bike Summit will offer a dynamic inter-generational exchange through educational workshops and panel discussions that are both interactive and practical. The Youth Bike Summit will also provide tools and information on fundraising and best practices for schools that wish to incorporate bikes into the physical fabric of the learning environment. Learn more about the Youth Bike Summit in this video by Streetfilms.

This year's conference will feature a "staff track" of workshops led by officers, administrators, managers, and instructors from organizations dedicated to working with youth and bikes. These sessions will highlight practical issues such as fundraising, challenges, and best practices.

THANK YOU TO OUR STEERING COMMITTEE: Bike Works in Seattle, Bikes Not Bombs in Boston, Neighborhood Bike Works in Philadelphia, Sibley Bike Depot in St. Paul, and West Town Bikes in Chicago.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Pasqualina Azzarello at director@recycleabicycle.org or 718.858.2972

*************************************

Friday January 13 - 5:00pm - 8:00pm - Welcome / Registration / Dinner (Wollman Hall)

ACCOMMODATIONS IN NYC: If you and your group are traveling from out of town, we recommend Hostelling International. Once again, Hostelling International is offering a generous rate to all attendees of the Youth Bike Summit of $35/guest per night anytime between January 10-17. The promotion code is YBS2012 and registration information can be found HERE. Hosteling International is located at 891 Amsterdam Avenue New York, NY. Here is a MAP and DIRECTIONS from Hostelling International to The New School. *Please note that guests under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and cannot share a dorm with our other travelers. All guests under 18 can only room with members of their own group and or their guardian. If you have any additional questions, please speak to Iman Dean at Hosteling International. She can be reached at (212) 932.2300 ext. 101 or iman.dean@hiusa.org

Thanks to our friends at Bike Works, the YMCA at 5 West 63rd Street, New York, NY has also offered a generous discounted rate to YBS attendees: $80/single, $92/bunk, $155/double. *Please note that reseervations must be made in advance by calling the central reservation line at 917.441.8800 and mention the code BW. A credit card will be required in order to guarentee the reservation. The reservation office is open M-F from 9am-6pm and Sat 9am-1pm.

FUNDRAISING TIPS: Want to come to the Youth Bike Summit but need help fundraising for a trip to New York City? Click here for some helpful tips!

HISTORY: In March 2010, Recycle-A-Bicycle (RAB) 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 at RAB.  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 we 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.