Registration is now open for Walk to School Day 2011, a one-day event in the U.S. that is a part of an international effort to celebrate the many benefits of walking and bicycling to school throughout the month of October. Now in its 14th year, this year’s event will be celebrated on Wednesday, October 5. Walk to School Day participation reached a record high in 2010 with more than 3,500 registered U.S. events, and that number is expected to rise once again in 2011.
Promotion
Safe Routes to School and Health: Understanding the Physical Activity Benefits of Walking and Bicycling to School
Walking and biking are two of the easiest ways to be active. The National Center has prepared a new research-based resource that specifically looks at the potential physical activity benefits of a SRTS program and describes strategies for measuring those benefits.
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Pierre, South Dakota: Walk to School Day Event
Introduction
Pierre, S.D., is a rural town with approximately 13,000 residents. One of its local elementary schools, Jefferson Elementary School, has more than 400 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. In 2003, the Jefferson Elementary Parent and Teachers Association (PTA) wanted to implement a program designed to encourage healthy behavior in the students. The PTA decided that yearly Walk to School Day events would be the best encouragement program for the students.
Every Step Counts: New Safe Routes to School Marketing Materials
Are you looking for an image for a community newsletter or a take-home SRTS flyer for students? Do you need new materials for your organization's website? New materials have been added to the Every Step Counts campaign, a series of free, downloadable SRTS marketing materials focused on the benefits of walking and bicycling to school. The messages have been crafted to relate walking and bicycling to school with issues that parents have said are important to them.
New Resource: Every Step Counts SRTS Marketing Materials
Every Step Counts is the theme of a new series of free, downloadable SRTS marketing materials focused on the benefits of walking and bicycling to school and what motivates parents to consider making that choice.* School zone safety, including speeding and distracted driving, will be another focus of the campaign.
SRTS in the News
The following is a brief compilation of Safe Routes to School-related news stories from across the country. Web links to the following news stories are time sensitive, so some stories may not be accessible after the initial publication date or may require registration.
Walk to School: Proclamation
Get public officials involved and bring visibility to your event by having your mayor or governor proclaim your walking date as the Official International Walk to School Day or Month for your community. Your proclamation can be customized to highlight the walking and biking issues that are important to your school and community, or to fit the dates you've chosen to celebrate. Sample templates are available for download below.
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Walk to School: Talking Points
Talking points offer helpful information on topics such as trends in school travel, safety, physical activity, environment and air quality, background on the event, Safe Routes to School and a list of participating countries. You may find it helpful to use these for interviews with local media, meetings with parents or any other communications planned for the event.
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Walk to School: Media Advisory
The media advisory is simply meant to give the media all of the general details of your Walk to School event — this includes the who, what, when, where and significance of your event. To use this media advisory, follow these easy steps:
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