Empowering Maine students to lead, advocate, and create safer, healthier, and more connected communities.
The Bicycle Coalition of Maine (BCM) believes that youth are not only the riders and pedestrians of today but also the advocates, policy shapers, and civic leaders of tomorrow. The Youth Community Spokes program aims to create a new generation of leaders who are equipped to speak up, organize, and drive lasting change. This program adapts our successful adult Community Spokes model into a youth-specific initiative designed for students ages 14–18. It will provide them with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to champion safer streets, sustainable transportation, and healthier communities.
Youth Community Spokes is launching as a one-year pilot program in communities across Maine. Participants receive training, mentorship from community leaders and Bicycle Coalition of Maine staff, and hands-on support to complete real projects that create visible change.
This program exists because we believe young people are not just the future of Maine’s communities—you are leaders right now. By investing in youth leadership, we are building the next generation of advocates, problem-solvers, and changemakers.
- Assess walkability, bike safety, accessibility, and comfort in your community
- Conduct real walk and bike audits of streets, sidewalks, and intersections
- Design and help implement pop-up safety demonstrations such as temporary crosswalks or traffic calming projects
- Advocate and present ideas to local leaders, school boards, and community decision-makers
- Build confidence in public speaking, teamwork, and civic engagement
Participants will also become part of a statewide network of young leaders working to influence policy, shape infrastructure decisions, and support Maine’s Climate Action Plan, Maine Won’t Wait.
BCM is looking for local adult advisors across Maine to help support the Youth Community Spokes Program! If you work for a school or youth serving organization in Maine and are passionate about active transportation and supporting young leaders, we need you!
As an advisor you would:
- Connect BCM with a group of interested students.
- Help facilitate the relationship between BCM and students and serve as a trusted in-school connection point.
- Assist with logistics such as coordinating school and parent/guardian permissions to ensure students can participate in the program.
- Gather students for once-a-month meetings. These meetings would most often be facilitated by BCM staff.
- Serve as an in-person, in-school resource if students have questions about participation.
For advisors, there is no curriculum preparation required, no lesson planning, and no grading or academic assessment tied to this program. The intention is for advisors to support access and coordination, not to take on additional instructional work. BCM is responsible for delivering all training, managing curriculum and assignments, facilitating discussions, supporting project work, and providing ongoing mentorship and statewide coordination. In short, BCM runs the program itself, and advisors help us make it accessible and successful for students locally.
If you are interested in partnering with BCM on Youth Community Spokes, or if you would simply like to learn more, please reach out to erik@bikemaine.org.
Questions? Contact erik@bikemaine.org for more information.