Bicycleworks: Task-centered group work with high-risk youth

This study examined the effectiveness of “Earn-A-Bike,” a group task-oriented program for environmentally at-risk youths, offered by BicycleWORKS, a community-based organization residing in an ethnically diverse neighborhood. Effectiveness was determined through baseline and post-test (12 weeks) evaluations of participants across three domains: (a) self esteem, (b) ability to work with others, and (c) problematic behaviors. Quantitative data were collected for three conditions: (1) graduates of previous Earn-A-Bike programs who continued to participate in other BicycleWORKS programs; (2) participants in other BicycleWORKS programs who had never participated in Earn-A-Bike; and (3) participants in the current Earn-A-Bike program only. The main study design was quasi-empirical, with baseline and post-tests administered to a convenience sample of 21 active members. In addition to the quantitative data, a focus group was conducted for a subset of study participants (n = 11). While quantitative findings were quite limited, qualitative data provided credible evidence for the positive experience of participation in the overall BicycleWORKS program. Results from this study contribute to the small body of literature on outcomes of small group work with high-risk adolescents.