Scheming and Dreaming: Summer Bike-Lovin' at Tools For Life Day Camp

Hey you! Yeah, you out there in the nether. I've got some questions for you. The Tools for Life crew has been tossing around this idea for a while, and so now I want to know what YOU all (Y'all?) think!

The Idea: A full-on summer camp where we fix-up some bikes and then ride 'em to such lovely locales at Barton Springs, The Wildflower Center, Austin Children's Museum, the State Capitol, Art Museums . . . you name it; we can go there. Bring a bag lunch to toss in the counselor's bike trailer for a mid-ride picnic break.

Some Details:

• The cost would be around $150 a week, with scholarships available.  
• Rides would be guided by counselors, City of Austin Park Rangers, and YBP volunteers, all certified in first aid.  
• Camp would run from 9-3 Mon-Fri, and the curriculm would vary based on age
• Each weeks enrollment capped at 12 students.

Questions we need your help with:

• Would you be interested in sending your child/grandchild to this day camp?  How old are they?
• What could make it better/cooler/more fun and educational to you? 
• What would you like to see, and what would your kids like to do? 
• What would help you feel that they were safe riding along with us?

Everything below is purely hypothetical! We're considering running a pilot program this summer, and going full-out next year. Whatcha think?

Jr. Bike, ages 9-10: We'll spend some time at the shop learning some basics, flat fixing, maybe overhaul a few hubs and adjust our brakes, and then we'll hit the trail! Jr. bike week will start off with some bike riding skills instruction, some game playing and tomato chomping in the community garden.  We'll progress through the week on a few field trips to Lady Bird Lake to go canoeing, swimming at Barton Springs, dig up dinosaurs at the Nature and Science center, and  maybe even visit the children's museum. The Park Rangers will tag along to help us stay safe on our rides.

Tween Bike, Ages 11-13:  There are tons of possibilities for this camp! We might build a fleet of yellow bikes to release downtown, spend some serious time riding to different parks, playing in the water (in canoes, in pools, in fountains), map the neighborhood, or do all of it.  However this week turns out, it will be a huge blast.

Teen Bike, Ages 14+ 2 weeks: This is your chance to learn all you've ever wanted about bike mechanics! We'll build a few bike from scratch, and learn a whole lot about how they work, and then a whole lot about how to ride them safely to get around without needing your parents to drive you!  Freedom! Once we know all of that, we'll head off to take a swim in Barton Springs, grab a slice of pizza, and work in some other field trips, time permitting.