PATHWAYS TO POSSIBILITIES 2019–2020 ANNUAL REPORT
BEARINGS BIKE SHOP’S MISSION IS TO PUT THE RIGHT TOOLS IN THE HANDS OF YOUTH, ENABLING THEM TO ADVANCE THEIR SKILLS TO BUILD PRODUCTIVE LIVES. OUR VISION IS TO SEE THOSE THAT WE SERVE TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THEIR LIVES WITH CHARACTER AND CONFIDENCE AND EXPERIENCE THE FREEDOM OF ECONOMIC MOBILITY.
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Bearings Bike Shop
DEAR FRIENDS, March was a unique time to wrap up our fiscal year and reflect on where we’ve been and where we are going. While it ended differently than anyone could have anticipated, these unprecedented times have been an opportunity to identify where we land when the bottom falls out, so to speak. For Bearings, we prioritize relationships, helping our neighbors as best we can through whatever challenges they are encountering, and serving with our whole hearts. While our youth programs may be on pause presently, we have much to celebrate and even more to look forward to. This past year our programs thrived, serving 294 students. We continue to be energized when a student earns their first bike, and in the process discovers a new skill and interest. Our hearts swell when we see students find community among peers and adults alike in the bike shop, knowing they are cared for, believed in, and challenged to step into their God-given gifts. Our team continued to bring clarity to our program outcomes and evaluation methods with a revised Evaluation Plan. This past fall, we formed a working group of board members and staff to develop our 2020-2022 Strategic Plan. We homed in on our Mission and Vision Statements and put a stake in the ground to continue to build a best-inclass young adult workforce development program, utilizing the unique social enterprise of a bike shop. As a result, we left invigorated and even more committed to our work.
Speaking of growth, we are watching Bearings’ new future come to life daily at 982 Murphy Avenue. After much planning, we officially broke ground in December. As we prepare to open this new program center to students in the fall, we couldn’t be more excited about what the future holds. The transformation from a once dilapidated and closed-off automotive shop to an airy, bright, welcoming community center is inspiring, and represents our deep-held beliefs that first impressions don’t always tell the full story. We love seeing this unearthed potential come to light, and hope that Bearings will always be a beacon of hope for all of our youth on what the future can hold. We know none of this work is possible without dedicated donors and supporters, our talented staff and gifted Board of Directors, and the blessing of a Heavenly Father who believes in every person’s potential even more than we could ever do. Thank you for being part of this important work and for your investment in our students. Gratefully,
Tim O’Mara Executive Director
If you’d like a closer look at Bearings’ Strategic Plan, visit bearingsbikeshop.org/strategic-plan
2019-2020 Annual Report
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SKILLS FOR LIFE WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD
Seventeen-year-old Kobe came to the bike shop a shy, conscientious teenager. He heard about Bearings’ Skills for Life programming from his mom, who suggested he look into signing up to participate. While the prospect of earning a bike often draws teens like Kobe to Bearings, it’s much more than just an earn-a-bike program. Skills for Life is a drop-in after-school program where all of our pathways originate. Our thoughtful, hands-on learning experiences seek to draw upon best practices in youth development, STEM curriculum and exposure, and pre-employment skills development.
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Bearings Bike Shop
When Kobe came to us that first day, he immediately knew the bike shop was somewhere he wanted to spend time. He was particularly interested in learning to build and repair bikes, but his journey with Bearings would teach him skills beyond changing a flat tire and tightening brakes. Although Skills for Life does not classify as a traditional mentoring program, its design focuses on leveraging positive developmental relationships to achieve strong outcomes for youth. Recently, Kobe told us he came to the bike shop because it was the place that makes him smile. Kobe said sometimes he just needs someone to talk to, and he
can always count on Bearings staff to call and check in. In spring 2019, the Bearings’ Frameworks summer internship program was on the horizon, and staff were observing Kobe’s confidence continuing to grow. They urged him to apply for the internship. “We all knew him as being smart and a hard worker, so it was a bit of a no-brainer that he’d be the ideal candidate for the program,” said Program Coordinator Candice. “It was a new thing for me to try,” Kobe said. “At first I didn’t have enough confidence to do
anything, but at the end, I had more confidence.” Looking back on his Frameworks experience, highlights for Kobe include meeting new people, exploring career possibilities through workplace field trips, learning about fiscal responsibility through weekly financial literacy classes, and becoming a better communicator. Since that experience, Kobe has volunteered to help coach other students and help staff around the shop. “When he could have simply come in and worked on his own tasks, he chose to coach other kids,” Candice said. “This speaks to his ability to be self-directed and his willingness to continually challenge himself.”
Through his participation in Skills for Life and Frameworks, Kobe has found a place of community, confidence, and even the means to process complex emotions. “Every time I’m having problems, I come to the bike shop and clear my head,” he said. Recently he was going through a tough time, but he told us that riding his bike and coming to the bike shop helps him work through his emotions.
“We all can see the potential in the kids we work with, and it’s been such a pleasure to watch Kobe purposefully work to exceed all of our expectations,” Candice said.
Now as a junior in high school, we know the future is bright for Kobe. There are many pathways to possibility that will be available to him, and Bearings gets to help equip him with the skills to take advantage of those opportunities that come his way. And his plan for after graduating
56 66 BIKES EARNED
sure makes us smile: Right now, his hope is to attend a trade school and open up his very own bike shop.
STUDENTS “LEVELED UP”, DEMONSTRATING MASTERY OF SKILLS
260 BADGES EARNED
2019-2020 Annual Report
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FRAMEWORKS A PATH TO CAREER SUCCESS
Frameworks is Bearings’ workforce development program for teens and young adults that creates skillsbuilding opportunities through reallife work experience in the context of a bike shop. Research points to teen employment experience as one of the highest indicators of future job quality, thus directly supporting Bearings’ vision of seeing young people experience the freedom of economic mobility. Every summer, Bearings welcomes 8 to 10 students to the Frameworks program learning opportunities and the chance to work at Bearings. The Frameworks program is designed with a variety of components to expose young people to opportunities and to empower them to capitalize on those opportunities through the power of their skills, leadership and work experience, financial competency, goals, and quality relationships. Before starting the program, intern Alexius described herself as not being very comfortable talking to people, especially those she didn’t know. It took Alexius only took a few weeks
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Bearings Bike Shop
of new experiences, new friends, and the new challenge of teaching younger students what she had learned about bikes for her to emerge as a naturally gifted teacher. “I’ve changed in many ways; I’ve learned to be more outgoing and learned to talk to new people,” Alexius said of her time working at Bearings. “I have learned these things called soft skills like responsibility and self-control.” At its foundation, Frameworks incorporates key elements from our other programs that are based on research in the field of positive youth development. Increasingly technical mechanical skills are introduced, as well as structured and robust money management, career and employability, and leadership skills development activities. As with the mechanical curriculum, all program activities are developed on evidencebased best practices in that they are structured, relevant to real-world experience, challenging, and provide opportunities for mastery. Lastly, the thread of positive developmental relationships that runs
through every Bearings program is potently expressed in Frameworks, as Bearings employees engage teen participants with “high expectations, high support” as supervisors and trainers while implementing effective strategies to make a lasting impact through relationships. Our ultimate goal is to provide a place where teens can learn, grow, and feel accepted. Longtime Bearings participant Rashid has completed two summer internships and continues to work in the shop as a year-round paid associate. Rashid says that coming to Bearings has allowed him to open up, learn new things, and grow as a person. When asked how he feels when he steps into the shop, his answer was simple: “I feel welcome. I feel like I have a sense of purpose here.”
WHY WORK MATTERS
A 2018 Study by the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings titled “Pathways to high-quality jobs for young adults” cites many of the reasons programs like Frameworks matter in our community. The study looked at the quality of jobs (as measured by wages, benefits, hours, and job satisfaction) held by 29-year-olds who had experienced disadvantage in adolescence.
According to the study, there are several factors that lead to higher job quality in adulthood: (1) Workbased learning incorporating positive relationships with adults. Participating in a cooperative education, internship, apprenticeship, or mentorship program in high school is related to higher subsequent job quality. Positive adult relationships in a work-based setting play a role in future career
success; and (2) earlier experiences in the labor market. Having a job as a teenager (ages 16 to 18) predicts higher job quality in adulthood. Teens gain valuable skills, experience, and work habits through employment that serve them well in the future. The value of the Frameworks’ work-based learning environment is an important tool in setting up the youth of our community on the road to success.
DURING THE SUMMER, 50% OF STUDENTS BEGAN PUTTING MONEY IN A SAVINGS ACCOUNT FOR THE FIRST TIME.
AT THE END OF THE SUMMER INTERNSHIP, 63% OF STUDENTS HAD MET THEIR SUMMER SAVINGS GOAL OF $250 OR MORE. 25% OF STUDENTS HAD OVER $500 IN SAVINGS.
2019-2020 Annual Report
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GEARING UP AN INDIVIDUALIZED JOURNEY FOR GROWTH
Mr. Antwan, as he is known in the bike shop and the hallways of school, has had the opportunity to see firsthand the positive impact our Gearing Up program can have on students who may be struggling in the traditional classroom setting. “It made them feel successful in ways they never had before,” he said. Mr. Antwan Joseph is an instructional coach at Slater Elementary. He spent many hours at our South Atlanta bike shop last year, accompanying groups of students to participate in our program, which works in partnership with Purpose Built Schools Atlanta in their South Atlanta schools. Gearing Up offers hands-on, studentcentered learning experiences that activate less traditional learning styles and use authentic experiences
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Bearings Bike Shop
to teach the soft skills and character strengths that can make a difference in the classroom and beyond. Gearing Up shares its foundation with Skills for Life, and is delivered more consistently and sequentially with youth participants who attend regularly as a part of their school day. One thing that stood out to Mr. Antwan during his students’ sessions was the personal touch Bearings’ program staff put into their relationships with participants. “Because each of the coaches had a different style, it helped engage different types of students,” he said. “Every student felt seen and heard.” He also felt that students responded well to the positive reinforcement they received from the staff.
The unique space of the bike shop also exposes students to mechanics, where they can often succeed as they discover that they might learn in different ways than some of their peers and that they have unique gifts and talents. For some of our participants, showing aptitude in this mechanical work represents a powerful first taste of efficacy and success. Kyndle, a fifth-grader at Slater, was recognized as both a top-earner and student of the month. Mr. Antwan described Kyndle as a student who excelled socially, but has room for improvement when it comes to grades and school work. He said the structure of the Gearing Up program allowed her to see that she can be good at other things if she puts her mind to it and sets boundaries
between socializing and work. “When she got to the shop, it brought out another side of her,” he said. Mr. Antwan also noticed growth in Aaliyah, another fifth-grader. Aaliyah has a “strong personality,” he said, and the bike shop environment allowed her to channel that energy into developing leadership skills. “The bike shop helped her harness her natural leadership skills and make her strong personality a
little more malleable in learning to communicate with people in different ways,” he said. He also noted that the positive communications between the coaches and students provided a good example of how to be a good communicator and leader. “What particularly worked well for her was listening to how the coaches communicated with each other and with other students,” he said.
Our program curriculum, in tandem with the efforts of school partners, works to ensure that all students have the tools they need for success in school and in life.
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70%
60%
PARTICIPANTS
OF STUDENTS SHOWED IMPROVEMENT IN THEIR SENSE OF POSITIVE IDENTITY, ACCORDING TO TEACHER REPORTS
OF STUDENTS IMPROVED THEIR USE OF SOFT SKILLS IN THE CLASSROOM, ACCORDING TO TEACHER REPORTS
2019-2020 Annual Report
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FINANCIALS INCOME $919,158
EXPENSES $953,671
5%
73%
8%
6%
74%
8% 18%
8%
MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS
$667,244 / 73%
PROGRAM SERVICES
$709,013 / 74%
NON-CASH GIFTS
$71,757 / 8%
GENERAL & ADMINISTRATIVE
$166,949 / 18%
PROGRAM REVENUE
$78,750 / 8%
FUNDRAISING
$77,709 / 8%
EARNED REVENUE
$56,945 / 6%
OTHER INCOME*
$44,462 / 5%
* Other income includes event proceeds and interest income.
This Annual Report reflects Bearings Bike Shop’s Fiscal Year of April 1, 2019–March 31, 2020. The financial information contained in this annual report is audited but summarized. To view full audited financials or the 2019 Form 990, please contact Becky O’Mara at becky@bearingsbikeshop.org.
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Bearings Bike Shop
THANK YOU Our work is not possible without the generous support of donors like you who believe in the power of skills development and equipping students to achieve their dreams and build productive lives. THANK YOU for being part of this important work and the lives that are impacted because of it.
2019-2020 Annual Report
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
ADVISORY BOARD
Bearings Bike Shop is grateful for the leadership of a thoughtful and dedicated Board of Directors that collaborates with the staff to put the right tools in the hands of youth, enabling them to advance their skills to build productive lives.
The Bearings Bike Shop Advisory Board comprises community leaders who offer their guidance and mentorship to Bearings leadership. We are grateful for the time and expertise they share to make our organization stronger.
DAN HELLER
BRUCE DEEL
King & Spalding, LLP (Retired)
City of Refuge
Chairman of the Board EVAN LONGSTRETH Ron Blue Trust Treasurer
MELISSA KRUSE
ED CHANG redefinED Atlanta
ED MCBRAYER Path Foundation
Matchstic Branding House Secretary
JOHN ONWUCHEKWA
ALAN MARTIN
KATHY COLBENSON
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CHRIS180
ALEX DOMINGUEZ
MARK B. RILEY
Region One Commercial
Urban Realty Partners
DARRYL LESURE
MATT WESTMORELAND
Chick-fil-A
Atlanta City Council
DAVID METTER
NORWOOD DAVIS
Kenektr
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EDDIE FERGUSON Truist Bank
JASON BRIGHT Thrivent Financial
STACYE BRIM STB Consulting
TIM O’MARA Bearings Bike Shop 12 Bearings Bike Shop
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Photography Credits Hales Photo and Becca Stanley Photography