This summer, three athletes from the Bicycle Coalition Youth Corps (BCYC), Yania, Mamady, and Justin, participated in the National Youth Bike Summit held at Roxbury Community College in Boston.
This marked the second consecutive year that BCYC joined forces with Neighborhood Bike Works to attend this empowering event.
The summit attracted over 200 participants from 52 cities and 17 states, providing a unique platform for aspiring young cyclists to delve into topics related to biking, identity, community, creativity, and activism.
Yania, an 11th grader from WB Saul High School, shared her enthusiasm about the experience.
“I got to explore a new place and bond with other people in my group,” she said.
“We’re kind of all friends, but we really got to get loose and have fun.”
The weekend was filled with various workshops and discussions, and Yania was particularly inspired by bike programs like the Oasis Bike Project in Tennessee and Bikes not Bombs in Boston.
These insights opened her eyes to the possibilities of what can be done with biking.
“It showed me all the stuff I could do with biking—things I’d like to bring back here to Philly,” Yania added.
One of the standout moments for Yania was a hands-on workshop that allowed participants to create recycled art using old bike parts.
She crafted jewelry from locks, inner tubes, and even made a belt for a groupmate.
Mamady, a rising senior from Georgetown High School, also found joy in this workshop.
He mentioned that using old bike parts was a familiar practice for him due to his work with Neighborhood Bike Works.
“That’s one thing I do a lot with the work I do at Neighborhood Bike Works.
I try to use any old part I can for my bike, my art, or anything creative,” he expressed.
However, for Mamady, the true value of the summit came from building connections with other attendees.
“The value for me is less in the workshops and more in the people I get to meet,” he explained.
Mamady also shared that he often experiences social anxiety in his daily life but felt liberated in the summit environment.
“I don’t usually speak to a lot of people in my day-to-day life—but here, I felt like I could be a whole new person,” he noted.
Yania echoed this sentiment, sharing her own struggles with introversion.
She took the plunge to participate in karaoke, an experience that helped deepen her bond with the group.
“I feel like BCYC should take even more of us next year.
It was fun, and we helped bring each other out of our shells,” Yania said.
Beyond the workshops, the students savored new foods, explored Boston, and enjoyed a group bike ride with local riders from Boston Critical Mass.
“I’m convinced they count miles differently there, but we rode 10 miles with the whole crew!” Yania joked.
She reflected on the experience, noting how people on the streets marveled at their lively group.
At its core, the National Youth Bike Summit highlighted a foundational belief at BCYC: when equipped with the right tools and encouragement, youth are empowered to lead.
The BCYC team extends gratitude to the organizers, workshop leaders, and every young participant who approached the event with openness and enthusiasm.
With exciting memories fresh in their minds, the BCYC athletes look forward to returning to the summit next year.
image source from：bicyclecoalition
