A friend of Dustin LaFont once told him that children vote with their feet. LaFont sees that statement come to life day after day as the youth of Baton Rouge ride in and out of Front Yard Bikes at his nonprofit organization.
“If they don’t believe in what’s happening, they’ll find a way to stop showing up,” LaFont said. “They vote with their feet on what they think is valuable and worth their time.”
Front Yard Bikes offers programs for middle school age children and beyond to build confidence, community and mechanical skills with each bike.
Dustin LaFont is the owner of Front Yard Bikes, a nonprofit that builds community and teaches children mechanical skills.
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The development of FYB was unexpected for LaFont, who 13 years ago tutored his 10-year-old neighbor and helped him fix a broken bike in LaFont’s front yard. He soon moved the program to a volunteer-run warehouse, quit his teaching job and devoted himself full-time to FYB, opening a resale operation and investing in real estate in Mid City.
“We worked together to fix one, and then he told 20 of his best friends,” LaFont said. “It was like wildfire, especially in the 10-13 year old kid age group.”
Now, FYB has created an Earn a Bike program, community garden, internships, Friday bike rides and elective courses for eighth graders to become certified mechanics. Last year, they served 359 kids while earning 275 bikes, LaFont said. Over the years, he said, “a few thousand” kids have come through the program and “well over 10,000 bikes” have been earned.
LaFont said the internship program has been particularly effective because it has helped many children stay in school. The internship opportunity begins in eighth grade, and participating youth receive a small stipend in exchange for helping run the program they attended. You must remain in school and meet a specific GPA to participate in the program.
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The community garden at Front Yard Bikes teaches young adults about healthy eating, healthy living and how to grow food, said Dustin LaFont.
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Recently, FYB partnered with Westdale Middle School, where LaFont was a teacher. Each week, middle school students board a bus and arrive at FYB’s resale store for an elective class that trains them to become certified mechanics. The program can then move into automotive, HVAC and other career opportunities, LaFont said.
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The program serves as a resume builder for the children involved and they can become a valuable asset in the community.
“I think that’s the narrative and cultural shift in this state that we’re going to need,” LaFont said. “Stop trying to fix the kids and realize the kids can probably fix a lot of what’s wrong with us.”
A file photo of Tour de Patrick. Engineering students from LSU and Front Yard Bikes participate in the Tour de Patrick, a competition to design and build a hydraulic-powered bicycle, from left: Andres Calderon, Bryce Dedrick, Jake Perry, Derrick Johnson, Austin Roy, Bryan Dedrick , Alcia Pastor and Will Adams.
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LaFont also explained that in his opinion, there aren’t enough middle school electives that are beginning to shape individual interests. Extracurricular activities such as football, volleyball, chess club and debate club have limited places on the list.
“Then there’s a lot of kids right in the middle, and every day at 2:30 there’s nothing. We miss these rising minds, these amazing talents, every day at 2:30. They are unsupervised, alone, unsupervised and not engaged,” he said.
“… And everyone is upset about problems in society. Well, (the youngsters) are waiting for you to tell them that they are worth being around. They’re waiting for you to pull them in.”
Lee Magee, 20, joined his brother at FYB when he was 6 years old. Magee is now a T2 mechanic with the program, working on bike repairs for the shop. He usually works from Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. He said that every day is a new opportunity to meet new people.
Lee Magee and LaFont at Magee’s graduation from Thrive Academy.
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“Front yard bikes have had a huge impact on my life,” Magee said. “I think without Front Yard Bikes I would probably be somewhere else.”
In the future, Magee would like to find a job that allows him to travel the world, like a truck driver or work on a cruise ship, he said.
LaFont explained that FYB is a drop-in program, meaning all the kids involved show up voluntarily. In order to create an internalized recognition and confirmation, the employees began to award badges of honour. When someone demonstrates exemplary effort or proficiency in an area, he or she can earn badges to display on their apron. The participants can move through the program on three different levels and become a leader in the shop.
File photo of APRIL BUFFINGTON’s attorney – A mountain of bicycle wheels is growing at the Front Yard Bikes location on Terrace Avenue.
Every day, whether it’s a kid walking through the store with a school report or a great story from their day, LaFont is proud. However, he says he is prouder when a young person can make amends for something he has done uncharacteristically. He’s got a desk drawer full of indemnification letters.
Although the program started unintentionally, the depth of relationships that have formed makes FYB more than a bike shop. They build a culture, a family and a community.
“Every day we say to our kids, ‘We’re not going to make you anything but what you are today, because you’re valuable, you’re awesome, you’re a star.’ You are, but you have to learn this about yourself,” LaFont said. “Now let’s go and work together and experience that.”
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