The Programs Plan - RECYCLE-A-BIKE file11/30/09 RECYCLE-A-BIKE – The Programs Plan 3 Introduction...

11/30/09 RECYCLE-A-BIKE – The Programs Plan 1

The Programs Plan

Prepared by Al Carter and Jenna Johns-Yu

On behalf of BNP Consulting, and


Contents Introduction & Summary ................................................................................................................... 3

Current Programs .............................................................................................................................. 3

OPEN-SHOP ................................................................................................................................... 3

WOMEN-N-TRANS-NIGHT.............................................................................................................. 4

VOLUNTEER-SATURDAYS ............................................................................................................... 4

EARN-A-BIKE ................................................................................................................................. 5

WRENCHING-WEDNESDAYS .......................................................................................................... 6

WRENCHING-WEDNESDAYS and OPEN SHOP ................................................................................ 7

Winter Programs ............................................................................................................................... 8

Bike Caroling ................................................................................................................................. 8

BIKE-TALES .................................................................................................................................... 8

RAB Nepal ................................................................................................................................... 10

Proposal: ................................................................................................................................. 10

Funding: .................................................................................................................................. 10

Options: ...................................................................................................................................... 12

Spring Programs .............................................................................................................................. 12

BIKE-TALES: ................................................................................................................................. 12

WOMEN-N-TRANS NIGHT ............................................................................................................ 12

WRENCHING-WEDNESDAYS ........................................................................................................ 12

MONSTER-BIKE ............................................................................................................................ 13

TRAILER-BUILDING ...................................................................................................................... 14

OPEN-OPEN-SHOP ....................................................................................................................... 15

Summary......................................................................................................................................... 16

Appendix – Contacts, Grant Opportunities, Posters, ........................................................................ 18

Bike Caroling ............................................................................................................................... 18

BIKE-TALES .................................................................................................................................. 18

WOMEN-N-TRANS NIGHT ............................................................................................................ 18

WRENCHING-WEDNESDAYS ........................................................................................................ 18

MONSTER-BIKE ............................................................................................................................ 18

TRAILER-BUILDING ...................................................................................................................... 18

OPEN-OPEN-SHOP ....................................................................................................................... 18


Introduction & Summary RECYCLE-A-BIKE manages a wide array of current programs, some of which are more successful

than others. Less well attended programs are so largely because of ambiguous target audiences, few

options to work on individual projects, and competition with other RAB programs. New programs must

be properly targeted, cater to individuals’ needs, and offer points for earning a bicycle.

This report describes each of RAB’s current programs’ offerings and intended audience, and explains

how WRENCHING-WEDNESDAYS can be a successful program. It additionally describes potential

upcoming programs, and lists steps that must be taken to enact them.

Current Programs Below, diagrams depict each program’s hours, target audience, educational opportunities, and

volunteer-purchase opportunities.

OPEN-SHOP

OPEN-SHOP is by far RAB’s most successful program. On Tuesdays from 6 to 9, individuals from the

community can come in, work on either their own, their friends’, or RAB’s bikes. OPEN-SHOP is targeted

at all RABbers. Almost all RABbers who attend use open shop to either learn, or gain volunteer hours

and points. Often passers-by come in for repairs. For more details on OPEN-SHOP, and the way it is

managed, see “The Shop Plan.”

Target: Everyone

• N00bs

• Experienced Mechanics

• Non Mechanics

Individual Needs: YES

• bike repair

Education: YES

• assistant-mentor relationship

• Learn general skills

Points & Hours: YES

• everyone racks up volunteer hours

OPEN-SHOP

Tu 6-9


WOMEN-N-TRANS-NIGHT

WNTN is extremely similar to open shop, the exceptions being that it is on every 1st and 3rd Thursday

of the month from 6 to 9, and that it is targeted only towards RABbers identifying as female. WNTN

strives to create gender equality and social justice in the shop setting. Women, transgendered people,

and friends are welcome to bring their bikes to the shop for a tune-up or partake in our Earn-a-Bike

program, while gaining bike mechanic skills and meeting fellow RABbers. Li Pallas, a dedicated and

skilled female mechanic runs the shop on these nights. WNTN is currently poorly attended, but is also

an extremely new program.

VOLUNTEER-SATURDAYS

VOLUNTEER-SATURDAYS are weekly volunteer-oriented events from 12-4 for the entire RAB

community. They very attract non-mechanics as well as mechanics. The educational component of

Volunteer Saturdays is not nearly as formalized as in other programs, but the target audience is wider

and it is a good opportunity for community involvement. Its main draw is as a socializing event for

mechanics and non-mechanics. Facilitating socializing at VOLUNTEER-SATURDAYS would help bring in

more members, and help make RAB a more cohesive community. This could be done with food, music,

or any other activities.

Target: Women

• N00bs

• Experienced Mechanics

• Non Mechanics


• Bike repair

• Socializing

Education: YES

• Assistant-mentor relationship

• Learn general skills

Points & Hours: YES

• everyone racks up volunteer hours

WOMEN-N-TRANS

1st and 3rd Th 6-9


EARN-A-BIKE

EARN-A-BIKE is a sub program of all of RECYCLE-A-BIKE. It is one of RAB’s ways of giving back to its

community. After collecting a certain number of volunteer hours or points, RABbers are allowed to

build their own bicycle from spare parts. RABbers in the EARN-A-BIKE program are still required to pay

for new parts, but by and large, EARN-A-BIKE bikes are free. This is a program open to and targeted at

all RABbers

EARN-A-BIKE faces several problems. Firstly, points and hours are not properly kept track of. This

may change in 2010 as the card system is fully implemented and prices are posted.

Secondly, many RABbers who have accumulated the points to earn a bike still do not have the

mechanical aptitude to build one themselves. This leads other volunteers to spend a great deal of time

helping them. RECYCLE-A-BIKE may consider encouraging RABbers to enroll in WRENCHING-

WEDNESDAYS before beginning to earn a bike. This can be achieved by assigning point values to

completing the WRENCHING-WEDNESDAYS curriculum, or simply mandating that inexperienced

mechanics take the class before earning a bike.

Target: EVERYONE

•N00bs

•Experienced Mechanics

•Non Mechanics

•Very good at attracting non-mechanics

Individual Needs: SORT OF

•Can't work on own bike

•Socializing

Education: NO

•assistant-mentor relationship

•Learn general skills

Points & Hours: YES

•everyone racks up volunteer hours

VOLUNTEER-SATURDAYS

Sa 12-4


WRENCHING-WEDNESDAYS

WRENCHING-WEDNESDAYS are workshops on relevant seasonal topics. Workshops are scheduled

for most, but not all, Wednesdays from 6-9, and are either one or two classes long. They are taught by

interested volunteer mechanics. Workshops are either targeted towards experienced mechanics hoping

to learn specific skills, or very inexperienced mechanics. The ambiguity surrounding WRENCHING-

WEDNESDAYS’ target audience, topic, and time lead it to be poorly attended. In order to turn

WRENCHING-WEDNESDAYS into a successful and well-attended program, RAB will have to address the

ambiguity surrounding it. This, however, is not enough.

Target: All RABbers

• committed people only, through points

Individual Needs:YES

• Build a bike, free!

Education: NO

• supposedly, people already know how to wrench

Points & Hours: NO

• actually uses points

EARN-A-BIKE

all times

Target: ?

•Only one at a time


•N00bs

•Depends on week

Individual Needs: NO

•Usually, you're only learning, not really fixing up your bike

•Can't realiy socialize in a class setting

Education: YES

•instructor-student relationship

•Either

•very specific skills

•very general introductory skills

Points & Hours: No

•Pay to attend


Usually W 6-9


WRENCHING-WEDNESDAYS and OPEN SHOP

WRENCHING-WEDNESDAYS and OPEN-SHOP appeal to similar audiences. For N00bs, OPEN-SHOP

offers all of the benefits of WRENCHING-WEDNESDAYS without the obligation to pay RAB, but with the

additional opportunity to earn points to be used to repairing a bicycle or purchasing parts.

To make WW successful, RAB must make several changes:

WRENCHING-WEDNESDAYS must have an individual component – a time in which

individuals can work and make small repairs to their own bicycles. This will help WW at least

make up one of its major differences with OPEN-SHOP.

WRENCHING-WEDNESDAYS must offer some form of volunteer hours and/or points.

Better qualified mechanics are always good for RAB, and this will help make up the “Purchases”

difference between WW and OS. This could be funded with a slightly higher tuition for WW. It

would also funnel Passers-by into other RAB programs.

WRENCHING-WEDNESDAYS must determine and announce its schedule and audience well

in advance. Since beginning to write this article RAB has decided to concentrate on an

inexperienced audience, and offer a weekly rotating class covering one of four basic mechanical

topics.

A WW focused on inexperienced mechanics will need to focus on general skills, like

general maintenance and safety. This will help train more general mechanics, and alleviate some of the

pressure around OPEN-SHOP. A general curriculum will also be easier to produce and repeat because of

their relative simplicity. This will also, however, cause WW to continue competing with OS for passers-

by. This is a potentially larger audience that RAB will have more difficult securing. Ways to secure this

audience include publicity and general encouragement for new members. For example, RAB might

encourage inexperienced volunteers to attend a WRENCHING-WEDNESDAY before going to OPEN-SHOP.

Wrenching Wednesdays will ultimately look something more like this:

Focus on Innexperienced

MechanicsGeneral Skills

End Result

•more general mechanics

• less OPEN-SHOP pressure

•Competition with OS for n00bs.


Winter Programs

Bike Caroling

On December 18th, we’ll go caroling around Providence. This shouldn’t involve much coordination.

The things we still need are diagrammed below. These diagrams are used throughout the remainder of

the report.

BIKE-TALES

Bike Tales, modeled after the New Urban Arts Soup Seminars, will be a micro-investment fundraising

and education seminar for the Providence bicycling community. At these seminars, one or two speakers

Target: N00bs•Consistent

Individual Needs: YES•Work on your own bike at the end of shop

Education: YES•Instructor-student relationship

Points & Hours: YES•Pay to attend

•Also get volutneerhours


Usually W 6-9

NeedsBike

Caroling

Boombox & Tuner

Route Planning

Foods

Lights


will talk about their adventures and experiences on the bicycle. Attendees who can contribute will be

expected to make a $3 donation for food.

Issues still to be determined are the venue location, time, a food to be donated, a restaurant to

donate the food, and a coordinator. Aside from picking up the food and booking the venue and deciding

who’s going to talk, this shouldn’t require very much coordination at all.

needs

BIKE-TALES

Venue

Time

•Fridays 6-9

What type of food?

Restaurant for Food

Target: Bicycle Community

•The ENTIRE community, not just rabbers

•Great outreach opportunity!


•Food

•Socializing

Education: YES

•Learn about people's bike experiences

Points & Hours: YES

•People can earn hours/points. Why not?

BIKE-TALES

Fridays 6-9


RAB Nepal

Through the International Institute, RAB may have the opportunity to maintain a continuously

open shop in the winter. This would allow RAB to gain experience with a continuously open shop, while

the Nepalis gain valuable English and mechanical skills.

Proposal:

Our proposal is for a small REECYCLE-A-BIKE Nepal shop, located in the basement of a home in the

Nepali community. It will be open between four and five days a week, likely from 10 or 11am to 5pm. It

will be staffed by an experienced mechanic, and have mechanical stations and most of the tools

currently in the shop.

If possible, RAB would like to use the space for afternoon activities with the community. These

would include formalized bicycle maintenance classes (WRENCHING WEDNESDAYS), community sharing

and story-telling (BIKE-TALES), after-hours wrenching (OPEN-SHOP), and mechanical minority targeted

events (WOMEN-N-TRANS-NIGHT).

The shop will focus on refurbishment and maintenance of bicycles with mostly working parts, rather

than constructing bicycles from frames (as currently happens in the RAB shop). This will suit the needs

of the Nepali community (whom need to learn basic bicycle and English skills before constructing their

own bicycles), and the needs of a smaller shop (because the parts needed to construct full bicycles are

difficult to move).

Funding:

RECYCLE-A-BIKE would need funding to keep its shop open during daytime hours. If the shop stayed

open for 30 hours of daytime a week, for 4 weeks in January, at minimum wage, this would necessitate

an investment in salary of $888 ($666 if the employee were 18years or younger). Additional investment

of rent ($200-$300), heat and electricity ($150) would bring the total to between $1,049 and $1,448).

RECYCLE-A-BIKE and the International Institute have several opportunities to close the funding gap:

Service Bridge, a program which provides work-training support to welfare recipients in adult

education and ESL programs, may be able to provide evaluation support, job support, and resume

Target: Everyone

•Especially Nepali Community


•Bike Repair

•Socializing

Education: YES



Points & Hours: YES


RAB Nepal

2nd and 4th Th 6-9


opportunities for one or more Nepalis to work under supervision in the shop. This might offset some of

our required salary investment. Conversations are pending, but this may raise $300.

Donated Rent and/or electrical support would reduce RAB’s needs for funds directly. The

basement is currently empty, and the landlord in charge of the building rents to a sizable portion of the

Nepali community. Bringing in community activities would increase his property value. This would be

the equivalent of $200-$300

BIKE-TALES, a new RAB storytelling and small-scale fundraising program could be held in the

shop weekly or bi-weekly. With donated authentic Nepali snacks, the program could bring outside

dollars into the shop, while informally teaching the English skills. We would expect this to raise about

$80.

Mechanical Fees could be charged to community members using the shop, just as they are

currently charged for Open Shop. $5 would purchase one hour of supervised instruction in the shop. Of

course, volunteers would still be able to work an hour on a RAB project, and then another hour on their

own. We would expect this to raise $150.

Additional Funding is necessary. The funding opportunities above are likely to only raise $780

of the requisite $1,049 to $1,448 necessary to open shop, leaving a likely $668 hole. Funds will be

necessary to fill this hole, or RAB will not be able to afford to stay open during the day.

needsRAB

Nepal

Rent Settled($200-$300)

Shop Hours Decided

Service Bridge

Funding($300)

Mechanical Fees

Determined($150)

BIKE-TALES Possibility

($80)

Additional Funding($668)


Options:

RAB is excited to open a RAB Nepal shop during the month of January. However, without

significant additional funding, RAB will have to scale back its operations to nighttime hours. RAB will be

able to keep RAB Nepal open only if the funding is available. We have located spaces for the winter

months, but would really like to strengthen our relationship with the International Institute and the

Nepali community. If rent were donated, we could open shop during the nights. However, without

additional funding, we will not be able to open during the day.

Spring Programs

BIKE-TALES:

A new RAB storytelling and small-scale fundraising program could be held in the shop weekly or

bi-weekly. With donated food, the program could bring outside dollars into the shop, while informally

teaching the English skills. A conservative estimate of how much money it will raise is $50 per month. It

is unclear when it will be held, though RABbers seem to be leaning toward Fridays from 6-9. Details and

charts can be found on page 8.

WOMEN-N-TRANS NIGHT

WOMEN-N-TRANS NIGHT will

continue as before, on the 2nd and 4th

Thursday night of each month. Attendance at

WNT Nights has been low. RAB may want to

publicize its program. Some resources to do

this include

http://www.youthprideri.org/Resources/

TransgenderSpecificResources/tabid/275

/Default.aspx#medical

http://lifelinesri.org/events.html

http://twood.tripod.com/list.txt


Wrenching Wednesdays will continue as a weekly workshop, taught over the four weeks. It will

have a paid mechanic whom, if there are no attendants after the 1st hour, will be able to leave. Classes

will be purchasable in increments of 4 (for $50), or for $15 a class. The mechanic will make $10 an hour,

but $15 for the first hour and none after if no one shows up.

To be successfully, WW will need a mechanic, to update the curriculum to familiarize people with

the shop, and a way of putting people into WW, possibly before qualifying for the EARN-A-BIKE

program.

needsWNTN

Publicity

http://www.youthprideri.org/Resources/TransgenderSpecificResources/tabid/275/Default.aspx#medical



http://lifelinesri.org/events.html

http://twood.tripod.com/list.txt


MONSTER-BIKE

Monster Bike will be a bicycle-welding program similar to its name. It, and one other program,

will be run in the Steel Yard, possibly to compensate for rent. Its target audience will be people

interested in building monster bikes, who already have likely worked on their own bicycles. By the end

of the class, each student will have built their own monster bike.

Left to be determined are the material costs of the class, the amount an instructor must be paid,

the longevity of the class, how RAB will be compensated for the class (through rent to the Steel Yard, or

cash), a curriculum, an instructor, and advertising materials.

needsWRENCHING-WEDNESDAY

Instructor

Updated Curriculum

Method to put people into classes

Target: Everyone

•especiall people with some mechanical skills


•Build a Monster Bike

Education: YES

•Instructor-Student relationship

Points & Hours: YES


Monster-Bike

Dates Uncertain


TRAILER-BUILDING

Trailer Building will be a class teaching RABbers to build trailers out of old bicycle parts. It will target

RABbers who need to transport more than their bikes will currently allow. By the end of the class, each

student will have built their own bicycle trailer and attached it to their bicycle.

As in the case of Monster-Bike, left to be determined are the material costs of the class, the

amount an instructor must be paid, the longevity of the class, how RAB will be compensated for the

class (through rent to the Steel Yard, or cash), a curriculum, an instructor, and advertising materials.

Also left to determine are a way to harness the trailers to the bicycles.

needsMonster

Bike

Material Costs

Curriculum and class Longevity

Instructor Pay

Advertising

RAB Pay

Target: Everyone

•especiall people with some mechanical skills


•Build a trailer for your bike

Education: YES

•Instructor-Student relationship

Points & Hours: YES


Trailer-Building

Dates Uncertain


OPEN-OPEN-SHOP

Open-Open-Shop would extend Open-Shop into daytime hours. This would allow people to come in

to have their bicycles fixed, volunteer for RAB, and earn points towards building their own bicycles. If

enough people attended, it might also allow RAB to do some of the things it would normally do during

VOLUNTEER-SATURDAYS, like cleaning the shop or trailers.

RAB must decide whether to expand OPEN-SHOP gradually, or all at once. It must also secure

someone to sit in during OPEN-SHOP, and settle on a pay for this person. (It is much more difficult to

secure steady volunteer labor during daytime working hours.) Also to be secured are funding, possibly

in the form of grant money.

At minimum wage, it will cost an additional $7.25 an hour to keep the shop open with part time

labor. For an employee who can be trusted to arrive and leave on time, RAB may have to pay more. At

$8.50 per hour at 6 hours a week (assuming operation started at noon one day of the week and went

until 6pm), the cost to RAB would be $214 per month. It remains to be seen whether RAB will make up

this cost in sales of parts and services, but revenues from OPEN-SHOP (about $45 per 3 hour period),

indicate that this will be the case. Losses may also be made up by the sale of bicycles.

needsTrailer-Build

Material Costs

Curriculum and class Longevity

Instructor Pay

Advertising

RAB Pay

Harness System


Summary

By better targeting its programs and catering to individual needs, RECYCLE-A-BIKE may make all of

its programs successful, revenue generating, and well attended. The above report attempts to broadly

describe each of RAB’s current and future programs, and detail the needs and challenges each program

faces. At the beginning of 2010, the RAB weekly schedule should look something like this:

Target: Everyone

•N00bs


•Non Mechanics


•bike repair

Education: YES



Points & Hours: YES


OPEN-SHOP

Tu 6-9

needsOPEN-OPEN-SHOP

Growth:

•Gradual?

•Explosive?

Instructor

•Pay?

Funding

•Grants?


Sun

•Trailer Build and/or

•Monster Bike

Mon

Tues

•2-6PM OPEN-OPEN SHOP

•6-9pm OPEN-SHOP

Wed

•6-9pm WRENCHING-WEDNESDAYS

•one of four classes

Thu•6-9pm (1st and 3rd of month) WOMEN-N-TRANS NIGHT

Fri•6-9pm BIKE-TALES

Sat

•Trailer Build and/or

•Monster Bike


Appendix – Contacts, Grant Opportunities, Posters,

This section is still under construction, and will be completed in the master plan.

Bike Caroling

Contacts:

o Jenna-Johns-Yu (Programs Coordinator)

[email protected],

[email protected]

510-541-7753

Grant Opportunities:

o None, really

Posters:

BIKE-TALES

Contacts:

o Jenna-Johns-Yu (Programs Coordinator)

[email protected],

[email protected]

510-541-7753

o (Soup Founder)

Grant Opportunities:

o None, really

Posters:

WOMEN-N-TRANS NIGHT


MONSTER-BIKE

TRAILER-BUILDING

OPEN-OPEN-SHOP

mailto:[email protected]




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