A hands-on work readiness program teaching trade skills to youth in Chicago, Illinois
An initiative by Communities United
Workbench Project is an initiative by Communities United (CU), a survivor-led, intergenerational racial justice organization in Chicago.
CU focuses on advancing affordable housing, health equity, education justice, youth investment, immigrant rights, and shifting resources from the criminal justice and juvenile justice systems into restorative justice alternatives. With a focus on asset-based, healing-centered youth development, CU builds a next generation of youth leaders to create positive change in their communities.
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Bikes N' Roses during its grand opening in 2010!
The story of the Workbench Project begins with Bikes N’ Roses, a bike shop and cooperative that CU youth leaders created in 2010. The goal was to create a space by youth, for youth. Since then, Bikes N’ Roses has remained a youth-driven space that offers job training and employment opportunities for high school students in Chicago.
In 2024, CU began hosting woodworking and welding programs in addition to the bike mechanic programs offered at Bikes N’ Roses. This expansion allowed engagement with more youth, creating more opportunities for teens to explore their interests while developing post-secondary and career readiness.
Now, beginning in 2025, our Workbench Project oversees all three programs.
At the heart of our work is Community United’s “Healing Through Justice” model, which addresses present and historical trauma in communities of color, promoting personal and collective healing through systemic change. Rooted in hope for a better world, Healing Through Justice has four components:
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developing leaders;
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relieving trauma;
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building collective power;
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and creating lasting, community-driven systems change.
