I CHALLENGE MYSELF, Inc.

I Challenge Myself (ICM) challenges and supports youth from underserved communities of New York City to become physically active healthy adults and skilled active citizens and leaders. By combining non-traditional school sports, like on-road and off-road bicycling and athletic trips with youth-led community health campaigns, ICM believes that high school students will develop the behaviors, knowledge, skills and experiences needed to achieve post secondary success.

Two (2) part-time athletic coaches are needed for bicycling and outdoor sports teams for youth ages 14-19 in the following 2 programs:

1. Urban Bicycling Tours

The Urban Bicycling Tours program combines distance bicycling with health service projects. These experiences are designed to promote self-development (physical, mental and social), specific bicycle touring skills, the ability to work with others and make connections to diverse communities. Youth in this program will also learn to maximize the visibility of two of their major bike tours to promote the “Challenge Yourself to be Healthy” children’s poster contest being carried out by their peers in the Urban Youth Health Ambassadors program. ICM provides students with fully equipped bicycles, helmets, gloves and cycling jerseys.

Meeting Date(s) and times: Saturdays

Location: Washington Heights

2. Bicycling Adventure Tours

The Bicycling Adventure Tours program combines bicycling, camping and rowing tours and other outdoor experiential learning experiences with health service projects. These experiences are designed to promote self-development (physical, mental and social), specific bicycle touring skills, the ability to work with others and make connections to diverse communities. Youth in this program will also learn to maximize the visibility of two of their major bike tours to promote the “Challenge Yourself to be Healthy” children’s poster contest being carried out by their peers in the Urban Youth Health Ambassadors program. ICM provides students with fully equipped bicycles, helmets, gloves and cycling jerseys.

Meeting Date(s) and times: (1 weekday after school- flexible and Saturdays)

Location: Mill Brook Community Center (South Bronx)

Major Responsibilities:

Organize, lead and supervise a training program for fifteen (15) 9th – 12th grade students to complete a 100-mile one-day cycling tour or a multi-day cycling/camping/athletic tour

Design and implement comprehensive athletic curriculum that integrates best practices in youth development

Set and measure the program’s effectiveness using qualitative and quantitative assessment tools, with an emphasis on self reflective strategies

Help maintain a fleet of 15 road bikes or mountain bikes and related equipment

Assist in the recruitment, training and support of 5-6 volunteer cycling coaches to assist in outdoor bicycle rides

Willingness and ability to work as part of a team

Assist in the strategic planning process to replicate ICM program in other underserved areas of NYC

Required Qualifications:

CPR/First Aid certification

BA in education, health, physiology, social work or a field related to youth/human development

At least two-years experience working with teenage youth, extensive cycling and athletic coaching/participation experience

Prior experience planning/designing and assessing youth sports related curricula and program

Excellent presentation, facilitation, oral and writing skills

Extensive knowledge of nutrition, health and fitness training and NYC area cycling and hiking routes and other outdoor athletic opportunities

Valid New York State Driver’s license

Available to lead Saturday training rides during school year

Preferred Qualifications:

National cycling, camping, hiking, rowing, rock climbing or other outdoor sports certification

Ability to lift weights of over 50 lbs.

Experience working with youth and sports, specifically, cycling, running, rowing, and rock climbing, camping, etc.

Self starter with entrepreneurial spirit and integrity

Lover of outdoors!

Salary: Hourly rate based on education and experience

Work Schedule: Work 6-12 hours a week from January to June 2007. Possible future full-time or part-time employment.

How to Apply:

Send cover letter and résumé with HOURLY RATES TO:

anar@ichallengemyself.org

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Dec 2005

One of the most frequent questions we get from our readers (after ‘Why aren’t there more pictures of me?’) is ‘Why don’t we do more to promote cycling for kids?’ Recently we had the good fortune to meet Ana Reyes, founder of “I Challenge Myself”, a new non-profit dedicated to bringing cycling to inner city kids in NYC. She is the author of the article posted below. Most of these kids have never owned a bike and few of them spend any time outside of their small insular neighborhoods. “I Challenge Myself” gives these kids a sense of accomplishment and has sparked an interest in cycling for kids who otherwise would have no idea about the sport and little access to the world past their street.

In the meantime we know many of you have spare bikes that don’t have enough speeds or, god forbid, were made in the 20th Century, and may be taking up more space than they are worth, please consider letting Ana take them instead of putting them on ebay. Of course we would also like to encourage racers to volunteer their time as ride leaders; you may be credited with discovering the next Nelson Vails or George Hincapie.

CHALLENGE YOURSELF

On a cold Saturday morning in February 2005, a group of adults challenged 15 high school students from the South Bronx to train to ride 100 miles in one day by the end of August. These brave students were the first participants in “I Challenge Myself,” a new nonprofit program that helps high school students in underserved communities of New York City develop into healthy, physically-active adults by introducing them to new sports, and teaches them about health issues affecting their community and peers.

The idea of riding 100 miles in one day was difficult for our students to imagine, since most of their riding experience was limited to an occasional spin around the block, and not a single one of them owned a bike. On that morning in February, we were asked questions such as: “Do we get to go to the bathroom during the 100 mile ride?”; “Do we ride straight through without stopping?”; “How far is a hundred miles?” Despite their extreme unfamiliarity with the idea, our responses seemed to have reassured them enough—most of the original fifteen remained in the program, and many brought in friends, too.

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@##=# With the help of Avery Washington, an experienced cyclist who has been a training ride leader for several AIDSRide events and for the New York Cycling Club, and eight volunteer coaches, our students went from never having ridden outside their neighborhoods to doing rides to Central Park, Pelham Bay Park, Piermont, NJ, and Brooklyn. During the program, ICM provided students with Trek 1000 and 1000c road bicycles, each equipped with two water bottles and cages, and computerized odometers, as well as helmets, gloves, sunglasses, cycling jerseys and shorts. Two days before the big ride in August, ICM’s honorary board member, Nelson “the Cheetah” Vails, flew in from Denver to offer the nervous young riders words of encouragement and support. On August 27, 2005, 12 of our students completed their first Century ride, which took them from the South Bronx to Long Beach and back to the South Bronx. The students were tired but beaming at the end of the ride, and incredibly proud of their accomplishment. While we are financially unable to let the students keep the bikes, students have an opportunity to earn their bike based on attendance participation and behavior in both programs. Two students earned their bikes this year.

But there’s more to “I Challenge Myself” than just the cycling program. Last year’s students also learned about health issues affecting their community, and worked to increase community awareness about these issues. ICM participants worked with Montefiore Hospital’s Adolescent AIDS Program to organize and launch an HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention campaign on October 7, 2005, which reached 400 students at three small high schools in the South Bronx.

For the program’s second year, ICM plans to expand its athletic program to include rock climbing and yoga. There will be a follow-up campaign in Spring 2006 that is expected to reach approximately 1200 students in the South Bronx. As the new 2006 challenge, ICM also hopes to also raise enough funds to take up to 10 of the students who completed the Century Ride to South Africa, for a cycling tour and to participate in a community service project for a non-profit organization. Long-term plans include the implementation of the program in Northern Manhattan, Central Brooklyn, East New York, and in underserved cities outside of New York.

ICM needs your help to move its organization from pilot to a more sustainable phase. If you are interested in learning more about “I Challenge Myself” and its core programs, or would like to make a donation, please visit www.ichallengemyself.org. ICM also needs volunteers and resources in the following areas:

• Volunteer cycling coaches

• Volunteers to work with young people on public speaking/community organizing

• Fitness/health/cycling company that could provide support

• Guest speakers on fitness/health/nutrition

• Accounting

• Strategic Planning

• Public Relations/Media

• Human Resources

• Fundraising (Event planning, potential donors)

• Donation of road or hybrid bikes that are in good condition

• In-kind use of office space (in South Bronx or Manhattan)

If you or someone you know would be interested in volunteering or donating resources, please contact Ana Reyes at anar@ichallengemyself.org