Participants will lead the showcase discussion by sharing their work to broaden the understanding of impact that bikes have on real lives. This approach lifts community voices that may not typically be heard using art to enhance understanding of social needs within our community. The creative process and showcase discussion builds compassion, empathy, and awareness of self and to different perspectives. The program builds foundational leadership skills that include coalition building and communication. This creative work could spark a dream for a future.

Our hopes are that the impact shared at the showcase event will touch peoples’ hearts and minds, opening them up to new experiences and perspectives. This will be a growth opportunity for participants as we nurture their thought-leadership in our community and demonstrate that we value their contributions. Having participants feel heard, valued, and appreciated can provide them with confidence, motivation, and inspiration as they move through life. It will also be a growth opportunity for the attendees who may not fully understand how impactful having a bicycle and the power to move about freely is for marginalized people. 

This program will better the participants’ chances to become leaders in our community, will increase their self-esteem, will provide them with awareness of the arts, and will build a community for them that didn’t previously exist, ultimately enriching their lives. Hearing feedback from the public at the showcase event will be enlightening for the participants and will provide more perspectives on how their final artwork touched peoples’ lives.

The instructor of the workshop, Heather Dean, has firsthand experience conducting these workshops in many spaces but working with bikes is new terrain. Her examples of past workshops have proven to be profound and powerful when working with youth.