Davenport, Bettendorf Students Give Back to their Communities through Bike Racks Project

The neighboring communities of Davenport and Bettendorf will soon have new bike racks installed across their downtowns thanks to the collaborative efforts of local high school students. 

During the 2022-23 school year, welding students from Davenport West High School and Bettendorf High School created 40 bike racks, 20 each to be installed in their respective downtowns. Their inventive efforts are having a positive impact on our region while equipping each student with real-world skills and showing them the power they have to create change in their communities. 

Chris Caves, Chamber Vice President of Business & Economic Growth, explained how the project is serving the shared interests of both communities by introducing talented young people to the world of manufacturing, one of our region’s premier industries. 

“The number one thing that our manufacturers talk about is the need for a skilled workforce. These high school students demonstrate the exact skills that are in high demand in the Quad Cities. When people think about the Quad Cities, they think about a skilled workforce. That's why they bring their business here. This is a day to celebrate emerging young talent, intelligent and capable makers,” said Caves.  

Welding students from both schools said that it’s a great payoff to watch their hard work make an impact in their community. 

Karsten Hulme, a welding student at Davenport West, said, “I had a great time welding and becoming better at it. It feels good to have an impact and to be giving back to the community.” 

The Davenport West welding program first started working with the Downtown Davenport Partnership (DDP) to build bike racks around five years ago. This past year was the first that the Downtown Bettendorf Organization (DBO) joined in on the project through the efforts of the Bettendorf High School welding program.  

“After pricing these bike racks out of state, we realized we could probably get them locally and also try to involve our students in the process,” said Ryan Jantzi, Executive Director of the DBO. “We want to see these kids to come back to our downtowns someday with their kids and say, ‘I helped build this in high school. This is my town and I'm proud to be a part of it.’  

Tony Behncke, DDP Operations Director, sees the future potential for the project to continue producing bike racks to be used by the thousands of bikers who ride across our community. 

“These students have created something that will be used by many in our community for years to come. We’re excited about the possibility of creating more bike racks in the future.” 

Davenport West Industrial Technology Teacher Andy Zin has been leading community-focused projects in his classroom for around 20 years, and he said the bike racks project has helped his students realize the lasting impact they can have in the community.  

Zin said, “Every time a new group comes through, they get to see how they can become a part of the community and see their long-term impact. Five or ten years from now, they get to walk by and see something they played a part in.” 

As a lifelong resident and champion of Davenport, Zin hopes that the bike racks project helps his students realize that the QC is a great place to live. 

“It’s a good place to live. I want the kids to figure that out. We try to tie classroom projects into the community as much as we can,” said Zin.  

Dan Milburn, Bettendorf High School Industrial Technology Teacher, has witnessed how the project shows his students they can apply their classroom experiences to the real world.  

“It’s showing them real-life welding applications. They really loved it because it wasn’t just testing their skills, but also allowing them to build something meaningful,” said Milburn. 

Bettendorf Student Noah Garnaas said, “I didn't think it was that big of a deal at first, but now that I'm here I see that I’ve made a huge impact.” 

The bike racks project was completed through a collaborative effort by the DDP, the DBO, Davenport West High School and Bettendorf High School. A special thanks goes out to the City of Bettendorf for spearheading the celebratory event that highlighted the students' magnificent work.

Quad Cities schools and students are seeking greater work-based learning opportunities through partnering with companies in our region. Find out how your company can get involved with work-based learning opportunities by contacting the Chamber.