Earn A Bike - Communities In Schools of NOVA

Partnerships In Service to Community: Debbie Polhemus & Phoenix Bikes

Working with my students and Phoenix Bikes has been the high point of my year. With all my other responsibilities, I didn't have the time or perseverance to make the connection to Phoenix Bikes myself. But once I heard that you had brought them to Wakefield, I jumped right in. As an English teacher of newly arrived immigrant teens--many with interrupted formal education, I struggle to determine what "relevant" instruction is. There is no doubt in my mind that the training offered through Phoenix Bikes is relevant. My students learned repair skills and English vocabulary. They learned to observe and collaborate. [...]

Phoenix Bikes Engages Students At Wakefield High School

The second semester of Phoenix Bikes at Wakefield High School kicked off on February 5, 2015, with twelve Wakefield students learning about bike mechanics and the importance of community service. Throughout the spring semester, students have learned bicycle mechanics and how to perform repairs, as well as work on bicycles that would be later donated to Arlington community members, and to a fellow Wakefield classmate. CIS of NOVA partnered with Wakefield staff members Debbie Polhemus and Joyce Kelly to recruit students and coordinate the club at the school. Each Thursday, Ms. Polhemus and Ms. Kelly meet with the Bike Club students during study [...]