Shaw EcoVillage: Starting a Positive Chain Reaction

Darcy Varney
University of Colorado

Citation: Varney, Darcy. “Shaw EcoVillage: Starting a Positive Chain Reaction.” Children, Youth and Environments 13(1), Spring 2003. Retrieved [date] from http://colorado.edu/journals/cye.

Keywords: youth activism; bicycles; Washington, D.C.

In the minds of most teenagers, earning money to buy a car is a perennial top priority– but not for the young bicycle mechanics at Chain Reaction in Washington, D.C. They would rather save up for a good bike and spend their time slipping through the city on two wheels than sitting stalled in traffic. For the more than 100 teens who have honed their mechanical skills and earned free bicycles over the past three years, Chain Reaction represents a vital spoke in the wheel of self-sufficiency and community awareness. Their peers made it possible.

Chain Reaction is one of several projects developed by teenagers involved with the EcoDesign Corps, a youth leadership program of Shaw EcoVillage. The nonprofit organization, based in Washington, D.C.’s historic Shaw neighborhood, was founded in 1997 to train youth to be effective leaders and catalysts for meaningful and sustainable change in the city’s communities. Shaw EcoVillage defines a sustainable community as a place where people of all ages, races, ethnicities, genders, and abilities can meet their own needs without compromising the needs of others both now and in the future. With that principle in mind, a group of EcoDesign Corps teens working on ways to solve transportation issues in the city came up with a plan.

As they returned from a visit to an architect’s office on the other side of town, the teens decided to split up and see which mode of transportation would get them back to Shaw the fastest: bicycle, bus, car, or taxi cab. The bicyclists beat the second group home by 15 minutes. Intrigued, the teens conducted a transportation survey from which they learned that bicycling, although the most efficient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly mode of transport, was also the least commonly used by Shaw residents. They mapped out the area’s bicycling resources and found that the nearest bike repair shops were at least a 30-minute ride or hour-long drive away from the heart of the neighborhood. Taking their cue from a New York City youth bike-repair program, the group presented the idea for a bike shop run by youth, for youth and the community, to local residents and Shaw EcoVillage leaders. Shaw’s staff and board members took on the task of finding funds to make the idea a reality, and Chain Reaction was born.

The program began in the fall of 1999, and the full-service bike shop opened in 2001; since then, approximately 120 youth have become active members and mechanics. The program offers several opportunities for young people, ages 9 to 19, to learn and contribute, from in-school bike safety clubs to vocational training camps, casual group rides to racing teams. Each year, Chain Reaction hosts a community Bike Festival to celebrate why bicycles are important to communities, featuring obstacle courses, street sprints, races, free bike repairs, bike helmet and prize giveaways, and information about local bicycle organizations.

Over the past year, five youth mechanics have graduated from Chain Reaction to careers in the bicycling industry. All of them had worked in the shop and participated in Chain Reaction’s programs for two years or more. Such commitments are typical of the youth involved, says Shaw EcoVillage Executive Director Mike Hill. “Kids stay in the program, and each year they come back, they bring people with them. One of our mechanics who got a job in the industry now comes back to volunteer.”

Besides turning youth on to bicycling, Chain Reaction has transformed the street corner where its bike shop is located, just a couple of blocks from an elementary and junior high school. Previously, the presence of loiterers and occasional drug activity kept youth away from the area; a take-out restaurant next door sold mainly beer, and a nearby vacant lot was full of litter. After Chain Reaction opened and the new owner of the restaurant stopped selling alcohol, things began to change. Chain Reaction has become a draw for youth who come by to borrow tools, put air in their bike tires, or just hang out with friends.

The youth who inspired the development of Chain Reaction were part of the first team of EcoDesign Corps interns. Since then, groups of five or six high school students have worked with college-aged leaders and professional mentors to implement sustainable changes in the city related to six focus areas: community pride and identity; clean air, water and land; health and wellness; public space; equitable development; and transportation. Recent accomplishments include preserving and increasing community awareness of street trees in the Shaw neighborhood, honoring important African-American activists by designing and painting a mural for the Shaw EcoVillage building, discussing sustainable community development with local business leaders and outlining community goals in a special booklet, and designing a pedestrian bridge to make reaching the Road Island Avenue Metro stop safer and easier for community residents.

EcoDesign Corps alumna Malika Walters has returned to the program as a college student leader, after having participated in the program for several years. As a high school student, Walters helped establish an organic produce stand, which sold fresh, healthy food in the neighborhood each Saturday. She also participated in the renovation of a local playground. Now, Walters is leading a clean water project with high school students. “This is something I’d like to stay involved with,” she says. “It’s something different– I like working with the community and seeing my ideas get put into action.”

Over the past five years, more than 100 high school students have provided upwards of 15,000 hours of service and leadership through EcoDesign Corps. For more information about Shaw EcoVillage and the EcoDesign Corps programs, visit www.shawecovillage.com.

Youth are making an impact on their communities all around the United States. Learn more about Chain Reaction and other youth-initiated community projects on the Project for Public Spaces, Teens as Community Builders website: www.pps.org/tcb.

Chain Reaction Photo Gallery