Students work with Mike's Bikes to send bikes to Africa.

College Prep students have teamed with Mike’s Bikes, to establish a sustainable model to increase the use of bicycles in southern Africa.

This April students began by working alongside the two owners of Bay Area bike specialists, Mike’s Bikes, to gain skills to refurbish bikes, inspect and disassemble donated bikes and pack them into a shipping container heading to Africa. In July students headed to Botswana, located in southern Africa, to reassemble the bikes, which will be sold to people at an affordable cost, especially nurses who will use them to reach patients in rural communities. The money will be used to bring more bikes to Botswana.

Andy Dean, Dean of Students at College Prep worked to raise money to send a team of teenagers to Africa this summer “I am excited to work with Mike’s Bikes on this venture. At College Prep one of our emphases is Global Education, focusing on how to implement sustainable change. This project is a great example of how an initial investment of funds and volunteer hours can produce a business model to continue giving to the community. Our students will learn how to work with the bicycles and how to create a sustainable project that positively impacts others lives. The students are also excited at the prospect of meeting other young adults in Africa and to learn what their lives are like.”

For recent photos of students working on this project please go to: www.mikesbikes.com

To follow along with the students on the exciting journey to Africa this summer go to: http://cpsapes.blogspot.com/

For more information please go to: Mike’s Bikes Africa Drive