Erik Erazo, of Olathe Schools, credits his first love as a mechanic for helping him connect with children.
Now, he's building lowrider bikes with children to mentor and connect them with local police and firefighters.
Erazo is dedicated to continuing the program safely despite COVID-19.
WE WANT TO HELP OURCOMMUNITY RECOVERFROM THE IMPACT OF THECOROANVIRUS.THAT'S WHY WELAUNCHED "THE REBOUNDKANSAS CITY."TONIGHT, WE'REHIGHLIGHTING ERIK ELAZO.HE'S THE COORDINATOROF DIVERSITY ANDENGAGEMENT FOR OLATHESCHOOLS.HE'S ALSO A MENTORWORKING TOWARD SOCIALJUSTICE AND UNITY -- ONERIDE AT A TIME.IT'S QUIET IN THISGARAGE.NOT UNLIKE SCHOOLSACROSS THE COUNTRY.Erik ErazoCoordinator of Diversity andEngagement, Olathe SchoolDistrict"We never came back fromACROSS THE COUNTRY.Erik ErazoCoordinator of Diversity andEngagement, Olathe SchoolDistrict"We never came back fromSpring Break."ERIK ERAZO IS AN ARMYVETERAN.HE WORKED AS AMECHANIC -- BUT HENEEDED A JOB.Erik ErazoCoordinator of Diversity andEngagement, Olathe SchoolDistrict"That landed me at OlatheNorth High School about 17yearago and I just neverleft."RIGHT AWAY -- HE NOTICEDSOMETHING.Erik ErazoCoordinator of Diversity andEngagement, Olathe SchoolDistrict"There's a lot of kids here thatI felt needed to belong,needed to be part ofsomething and I wanted togive them that because I didn'thave a positive experience inmy education as a youngperson."ERAZO CRUISED THROUGHNIGHT SCHOOL -- EARNINGHIS BACHELOR'S ANDMASTER'S DEGREE.IN THE MIDST OF ALL THETWISTS AND TURNS --THINGS WERE LOOKINGUP.Erik ErazoCoordinator of Diversity andEngagement, Olathe SchoolDistrict"Big part of bei able toreach our kids is tounderstand them and justbeing around kids is howyou're going to get to knowwhat they're doing and what'sgoing on in their world."SO HE LAUNCHED A CLUB --LINKING STUDENTS WITHMENTORS -- THEY MAY NOTHAVE MET WITHOUTFLASHING LIGHTS.Erik ErazoCoordinator of Diversity andEngagement, Olathe SchoolDistrict"Maybe they didn't like thepolice.
Well, what were thoseinteractions?
What did theylook like?
Were they everpositive?"Erik ErazoCoordinator of Diversity andEngagement, Olathe SchoolDistrict"But I also thought about itfrom the perspective of thepolice.
Have they had positiveinteractions with ourstudents?"NOW -- THEY'RE NOT ONLYBUILDING RELATIONSHIPS.Erik ErazoCoordinator of Diversity andEngagement, Olathe SchoolDistrict"We were able to put the LEDlights and put this biketogether.
There's even a thinblue line detail here that a lotof people don't even notice soit's very detail oriented."THEY'RE BUILDING LOWRIDER BIKES ---- AND A FOUNDATION FORTHE FUTURE -- FROMGETTING TO KNOW ONEGUY BEHIND THE BADGE."A lot of our kids wanted to bepolice officers after meetinghim because they saw him asan individual.
It was huge forhim to know them and forthem to know him."IT'S BREAKING DOWNMORE THAN A BAD PAINTJOB -- BUT BARRIERS THATHAVE PREVENTEDCOMMUNITIES OF COLORFROM CONNECTING WITHFIRST RESPONDERS ANDLAW ENFORCEMENT HANDIN HAND.Erik ErazoCoordinator of Diversity andEngagement, Olathe SchoolDistrict"We plan on putting some fireextinguishers in the back...""I had all of these plans.
Forexample, the vehicle you seehere is an Olathe PoliceDepartment cruiser that we'rebuilding as a lowrider for theOlathe Police Department."PARKED -- LIKE THEPROGRAM -- BECAUSE OFTHE CORONAVIRUS."It just all kind of stoodstill.
Itwas just really surreal.""You have to start thinking,how is it going to be mosteffective to make sure our kidsget the same education thatthey would being in aclassroom.""My biggest hope is that I canget those guys in here in asafe way and that we canwork on these things togetherand continue to have thoserelationships."ERAZO BELIEVES THISPROGRAM IS A SHININGREFLECTION OF WHATKIDS CAN ACCOMPLISHWITH THEIR HANDS -- ASHE FOCUSES ON THEIRHEARTS.Erik ErazoCoordinator of Diversity andEngagement, Olathe SchoolDistrict"To hear what they have tosay and what they're thinkingand how this is affecting thembecause it is a big deal.
It'ssomething that's massive rightnow that's happening and ourkids might need to talk tosomebody."THIS WEEK -- WE'REINTRODUCING YOU TOPEOPLE WHO ARE NOTONLY IMPACTED BYCOVID-19... BUT AREHELPING OUR COMMUNITYREBOUND.YOU CAN FIND THEIRSTORIES AT K-S-H-B DOTCOM SLASH REBOUND.A CENTURY OF L