Workshop Houston provides creative, technical and educationally enriching after school and summer programs for youth. We have four programs - the Third Ward Bike Shop (do-it-yourself bike repair for all ages), the Middle School Program (hands-on, project-based learning for 6th-8th graders), the High School Program (individualized projects and mentoring for 9th-12th graders) and the Summer Leadership Institute (academic preparation and service-based projects for 8th and 9th graders) that are based in our five shops – fully-equipped work studios that offer tools and equipment that youth cannot access anywhere else.

The programs attract students on their own terms and encourage them to experiment with new forms of education. In the shops, participants are trusted with communal resources and given the room to set their own goals, letting them know their abilities and intelligence are valued. The shops provide more than tools, equipment and space; they give youth the security, freedom and support to experiment and create. In addition to creative and skill-building projects, youth in the programs are given daily homework help and academic support.