Bearings Bike Shop Inc

BEARINGS BIKE SHOP PUTS THE RIGHT TOOLS IN THE HANDS OF YOUTH ENABLING THEM TO ADVANCE THEIR SKILLS TO BUILD PRODUCTIVE LIVES.

BEARINGS' YOUTH PROGRAMS SAW SIGNIFICANT GROWTH AND REBUILDING FROM APRIL 2021 THROUGH MARCH 2022, AS OUR ORGANIZATION AND COMMUNITY REGAINED A SENSE OF NORMALCY FOLLOWING THE PANDEMIC. IN 2021, WE WERE ABLE TO RESUME IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING ACROSS ALL OF OUR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS DURING THAT TIME AND REBUILD CONNECTIONS WITH KIDS AND FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITY.PARTICIPANTS IN OUR SKILLS FOR LIFE AFTER-SCHOOL DROP-IN PROGRAM SPENT OVER 3,000 HOURS LEARNING TO BUILD AND REPAIR BIKES AND DEVELOPING CHARACTER STRENGTHS LIKE PERSEVERANCE AND CONFIDENCE. PARTICIPANTS ADVANCED PROGRAM LEVELS A TOTAL OF 75 TIMES, INDICATING MASTERY OF MECHANICAL SKILLS.GEARING UP, OUR SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM WITH PURPOSE BUILT SCHOOLS ATLANTA, REGAINED MOMENTUM FOLLOWING A PAUSE DURING THE PANDEMIC WHEN SCHOOLS WERE MOSTLY VIRTUAL. 30 STUDENTS FROM ATLANTA SCHOOLS PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM AND HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN AND MASTER SKILLS IN A NON-TRADITIONAL SETTING. 100% OF STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM PASSED "STARTING POINT", THE FIRST LEVEL OF OUR MECHANICAL SKILLS CURRICULUM.OUR YOUTH MOUNTAIN BIKING TEAM HAD A SUCCESSFUL FIRST SEASON OF COMPETITION THROUGH THE GEORGIA CYCLING ASSOCIATION'S YOUTH MOUNTAIN BIKING PROGRAM. PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS DEVELOPED TECHNICAL SKILLS ON THE TRAIL AND GREW AS TEAMMATES AND ATHLETES, FINISHING 13 OUT OF 36 TEAMS FROM ACROSS THE STATE IN THEIR DIVISION. THE TEAM COMPETED IN 5 RACES IN THE FALL OF 2021 AND PARTICIPANTS SPENT OVER 100 HOURS RIDING OVER THE COURSE OF THE SEASON. THROUGH THIS EXCITING NEW PROGRAM, WE WERE ABLE TO BUILD PARTNERSHIPS WITHIN THE CYCLING COMMUNITY AND HAVE SEEN STEADILY INCREASING ENTHUSIASM FOR YOUTH MOUNTAIN BIKING WITHIN THE CITY OF ATLANTA. SEVEN TEENS GRADUATED FROM OUR FRAMEWORKS ADVANCED JOB TRAINING PROGRAM IN WHICH THEY LEARNED EMPLOYMENT SKILLS, GAINED WORK EXPERIENCE IN A UNIQUE BIKE SHOP SETTING, AND EXPLORED CAREER PATHWAYS DURING THIS 8-WEEK PAID SUMMER INTERNSHIP. AT THE END OF THE INTERNSHIP, 4 TEENS WERE HIRED ON TO WORK IN A MORE OFFICIAL CAPACITY AS MECHANICS EITHER IN THE YOUTH PROGRAM OR OUR SALES AND SERVICE RETAIL SHOP. FOR 100% OF OUR 2021 PARTICIPANTS, FRAMEWORKS WAS THEIR FIRST EXPOSURE TO THE WORKFORCE, AND THEY WORKED A TOTAL OF 1,660 HOURS WITH 286 OF THOSE HOURS SPENT COACHING IN OUR YOUTH PROGRAM.