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Trivon Markland, 17, of Hartford helps Payge Boyd, 8, also of Hartford, test a used bike that is for sale at the Hot Spot Bike Shop. The bike shop is located at the Urban League of Greater Hartford, 140 Woodland Ave. The bike shop offers tune-ups as well. (PATRICK RAYCRAFT / HARTFORD COURANT / August 6, 2009)

HARTFORD - Lila Rodriguez had her eye Thursday morning on a like-new blood-red Trek bicycle with retro handlebars.

Just a few hours after it was donated to the Urban League, Rodriguez, 18, proudly announced that she had purchased the bike for $50.

"It's mine," she said with a smile, riding the bike in circles around the parking lot of the Urban League on Woodland Street.

Rodriguez works at the Hot Spot Bike Shop, run by six Hartford teens as part of the Urban League's Summer Youth Employment and Learning Program.

In a day care room-turned-repair shop, a rap song blares from a cellphone as Collin Browne and Odingo Quinn, both 17, put new tubing in a donated bike's tires, while Trivon Markland, 17, inspects another bike. After donated bikes are fixed, the teens decide how much to charge for each bike based on how much work was done. Then, they sell them to passersby or people who respond to ads they've placed at Trinity College and on craigslist.

The bike shop was the brainchild of upper management at the Urban League, but the kids have sunk their teeth into it. They've come up with a name, elected positions such as manager and marketing director, learned how to fix every part of a bicycle — and earned a $500 profit in just over a week.

The six teens are paid $8 an hour for 20 hours a week, funded by the Capital Workforce Coalition. On Mondays, they learn how to write résumés, what to expect in a work environment and how to run a business. Tuesday through Friday, the shop is open.

Although they're supervised by Brandon Knight, 20, "the kids do everything from fixing the bikes up to making sales," Knight said.

The Urban League's programming is about "taking people and giving them the skills they need to get ahead," said Nancy Taylor, development director, and a visit to the Hot Spot proves that allowing these kids to run every aspect of a small business is an effective way to instill those skills.

The Summer Youth Employment and Learning Program takes kids aged 16 to 20 and immerses them in real-life job experience, said Richard Brown, interim president and chief executive officer of the Urban League.

The program is split into four tiers — kids in the lower tiers get paid to learn about work, those in the higher tiers actually go into the field.

Giving them exposure to the countless opportunities available to them is extremely important, Taylor said.

"They dream, but they don't always know what to dream," she said. "The more they get access to, the more excitement they bring. They have the thought and knowledge that this is very attainable."

The bike shop introduces owning a business as a career option.

"[The bike shop] encourages entrepreneurship, which creates lots of jobs. It's planting seeds for the community," Brown said.

Not only are they learning a lot, but the kids really like their work, too. Although the program officially ends Aug. 14, they want to make the program permanent.

"They really want to keep it open" and put their work toward the community service hours they need to graduate high school, Knight said.

Rodriguez is going to Manchester Community College in the fall for criminal justice, but she's taking more than just a new bike from her summer job.

"I was excited to learn more because the more you learn, the more you grow," she said. "You learn every day."

•To donate bicycles or unused helmets, call Brandon Knight at 860-550-4643 or e-mail hotspotbikeshop@yahoo.com. The shop at the Urban League at 140 Woodland Street is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., ending this Friday.

The Urban League of Greater Hartford is proud to announce that we have partnered with the National Youth Employment Coalition in their mission to empower young people to succeed. The National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC) is a national membership network that improves the effectiveness of organizations that seek to help youth become productive citizens. The ULGH and NYEC will work together to promote quality standards and influence policy, to provide and support professional development, and to build the capacity of our organizations and programs.

NULITES Conference 2002

It was a privilege to be invited to the NULITES "Success is our goal, decide your role" event. I have gained more knowledge on how to be a role model because I already am, and all of it was worth it. I met many different people who all had the same goal in mind, and that was to get through this event together. I greatly appreciated all the effort put into this and all the people that came out to support and reach out to us. Victoria Rowell was a great surprise and she is a great mentor. She touched our hearts and many others across the world. Robert Richard, a teen actor spoke to us on how important it is to finish school and build our future. Many great people, like Al Sharpton and "Uncle Phil" from Fresh Prince of Bel Air, spoke on youth being the future. We as youth, have the power to change and make anything happen. The thing that surprised me the most was, that I related to most of them because of what they went through in their childhood and teenage years. It was fun and I hope to be invited next year to be reunited with my new NULITES friends.

Submitted By: Melba DeLeon

Amber Mills, mother of three, found herself jobless and living out of her car or in cheap motels before she came to the Urban League Phoenix Academy Medical Administrative Specialist Career Training. With the help of the Medical Administrative Training and staff, an internship at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center, employability skills and “Dress for Success”, she made a great impression when she interviewed for her current job as a medical-records file clerk at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center.

Amber now has a place to live, a car and a new life. She continues her growth as a member of the “Dress for Success” professional women’s support group and career coaching with volunteer mentors.
The Urban League of Greater Hartford Phoenix Academy Career Training Center, in partnership with Capital Workforce Partners, Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center and “Dress for Success” is all about changing lives.

Chadrick Campbell came to the ULAC (Urban League Achievement Center) in 2005 as a sophomore after moving to the United States from Jamaica. During his time at ULAC, Campbell has been very active in youth development workshops, incentive/educational field trips and community service projects. In the past two years due to his high level of participation and enthusiastic leadership he was awarded the opportunity to attend the National Urban Leagues' Youth Summit in Atlanta and St. Louis. Campbell has said that because of his experiences in ULAC he has become more focused on success and anticipating his transition to post secondary education.

He plans on going to college to pursue a degree in Business Management where, as when he lived in Jamaica, his only desire was to become a cook at one of the local resorts. Mr. Campbell has been offered multiple scholarships due in part to his athletic and academic achievements while attending WHS (Weaver High School). He was accepted to multiple universities such Westminster (Tower scholarship-$15,000 per semester), Fischer college (partial scholarship offered), Mount Aloysius, University of Connecticut, and Virginia Wesleyan. While attending WHS he received the Mass Mutual Academic Achievement Award, High Honors, Capital Community College Customer Service Award, Arts and Technology Academy Top Student, Career Beginnings Certificate of Achievement, Excellence in Robotics, English-Maintaining High Academic Achievement, and Outstanding Achievement in Math Enrichment.

While maintaining a high level of academic achievement Campbell was also a member of the Varsity Soccer team, Varsity Track team and Varsity Baseball team. Not only was Mr. Campbell a successful participant in one of the Urban League of Greater Hartford’s programs but his mother obtained her GED from the Urban League of Greater Hartford when first coming to the United States as well.

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