B-360 and Community Law in Action join forces to expand youth leadership and advocacy programming in Baltimore

Two longtime collaborators, dedicated to delivering high-quality programming to young people in Baltimore, have joined forces to expand their influence in policy development and inspire youth in STEM. They collectively aim to empower young people through the use of grips, handlebars and footpegs on Baltimore’s (and sometimes Philly and other cities’) beloved motor craft.

B-360 and Community Law in Action (CLIA) announced a partnership to combine their respective services, enhancing their capacity in advocacy and youth programming. B-360, founded in 2017 by Brittany Young, strives to provide local youth STEM learning opportunities through the use of dirt bikes, while also working to address nonviolent crimes. This mission is driven by personal experiences, including Young’s younger brother being tried as an adult for nonviolent offenses.

The collaboration between both organizations aims to further these objectives and leave a lasting impact on the community.

“The expanded partnership between B-360 and CLIA aims to promote culturally competent programming and effective advocacy for young people interested in dirt bike riding, STEM education, career readiness, leadership development and civic engagement,” said CLIA Executive Director Rashad Staton, a Fearless Hero who assumed this role in early 2022.

“The partnership values youth as equitable stakeholders, reduces barriers caused by misperceptions and increases their involvement in decision-making processes,” he added. 

According to an email Staton shared with Technical.ly, the newly announced partnership actually formed in 2017 when Young and Station began addressing the criminalization of dirt bikes in Baltimore as members of former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh and the Baltimore Police Department’s Dirt Bike Task Force. A report finalized with task force members’ help offered suggestions for a way forward, including establishing a safe space for dirt-bike riding, a nonprofit organization providing STEM curriculum and training and a comprehensive review of laws pertaining to the operation and storage of dirt bikes. 

The first of those two mentioned suggestions are being addressed by B-360 in both its existence and its strides toward establishing the nation’s first dirt-bike campus.

B-360 youth program participants. (Courtesy photo)

The partnership with CLIA will expand B-360’s efforts to nurture youth leadership and advocacy through its programs, focusing on the third suggestion from the now-disbanded task force regarding city and state laws affecting dirt biking. CLIA’s Summer Leadership Institute currently offers a Law & Leadership Academy and efforts for the Just Kids Campaign, but this collaboration will extend its reach through after-school sessions citywide. 

“B-360 aims to reimagine public safety by providing programming for nonviolent offenders,” said Staton, adding: “Everyday skills acquired through dirt bike riding, such as mechanics and engineering, can be translated into STEM opportunities.”

The Annie E. Casey Foundation is instrumental in enabling this partnership, according to Young.

“Annie E. Casey Foundation not only allows us to partner but is also a reminder of what true collaboration can naturally evolve with the right investment and sponsorship,” she said in an announcement. “We have more milestones to make, and I am confident we will reach our goals and decrease systemic barriers with the support from CLIA and the Annie E. Casey Foundation.”

The CLIA and B-360 program expansion aims to train more youth and young adults in civic engagement, equipping them with the tools to navigate systemic challenges. It also stands to increase political representation and allies for bills like HB0928, which aims to create a “municipal corporation” to regulate “off-the-road motorcycles” and was set into motion in October 2022.

Overall, the partnership’s goal is to provide direct exposure and engagement for young adults in policy reform. 

“Policy reform is crucial for B-360’s vision of providing safe spaces for dirt bike activities and CLIA’s advocacy efforts,” stated Staton. “Existing laws that prohibit dirt bike driving and storage act as barriers to the overall objective of decriminalization and safe participation. Both B-360 and CLIA actively engage at national, state and local levels, offering input, testimony and participation in legislative processes.”