Fourteen-year-old Alex Brown (right) is one of the lead mechanics at the shop. He's one of a dozen kids working there this summer, with ages ranging from 8 to 18. (Drew Daudelin/WFYI)



A bike shop opened last month near downtown Indianapolis. It’s operated out of a garage and run by a dozen kids from the neighborhood. Some see it as a tool to fight the root causes of violence. Some see something deeper – a chance to empower young people by finding and using their untapped talents.

WFYI’s Drew Daudelin spent some time in the garage to find out how it got started. The story starts with De’Amon Harges from the nonprofit in charge of the shop:





De'Amon Harges and others at The Learning Tree spent $500 to buy tools for the shop, weeks after asking the kids if they were interested. (Drew Daudelin/WFYI) The shop's first batch of bikes were donated by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. Police Chief Bryan Roach sees the shop as a way to reduce crime. (Drew Daudelin/WFYI)