“WSD graphic created by Travelwise UK & the Pedestrians Assoc. UK.
Graphic design and artwork by Indent Graphics, Norfolk, UK.”
How to Organize
a Walk to School Week Event
Contents:
Introduction……………………………….…………………………………………………...2
Who Can Participate In International Walk to School Week?………………………………...3
A Brief History of International Walk to School Week?……………………………………...4
Before the Event……………………..……………………………………….….…….………5 - 6
At the Event………………………………………………………………….……….…….….7
After the Event………………………………………………………………………..………..8
Ten Good Reasons to Walk to School Together……………………………………………….9
Appendices:
Why Walk Fact Sheet………………………………………………………………………...10-11
Public Service Announcements - Sample…………………………………………………….12
Municipal Proclamation - Sample……………………………………………………………13
News Release - Sample………………………………………………………………………14
Colouring Sheet…….…………………………………………………..….………………....15
Permission Form……………………………………………………………………………...16
Contact Information.………………………………………………………………………….17-18
ISBN 1-894496-00-0
Edition 2004
1
Introduction
International Walk to School Week is part of the Active & Safe Routes to School program,
supported by Go for Green and the partners noted on pages 17 – 18. The program encourages
students, parents and school staff to walk, bike, in-line skate or use any other mode of active
transportation to and from school. During International Walk to School Week, thousands of
Canadian schools will join countries from around the world including Australia, Brazil, Cyprus,
United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United States.
Here’s what is motivating people to walk to school:
Increased physical activity levels among youth (helps prevent heart disease, obesity and
type two diabetes, and contributes to stress management, better self-esteem, etc.);
A healthy lifestyle for the whole family;
Reduced traffic congestion around schools;
Better air quality;
Teaches rules for safe walking and cycling;
Safer and calmer streets and neighbourhoods;
A sense of belonging in the community;
Spread the word! Together, we can make a difference in our personal health and the health of
the environment!
Have a great event!
2
Who Can Participate in International Walk to School Week?
Students, teachers, parents, friends and community leaders can participate in International Walk
to School Week!
For some schools, the infrastructure in the neighbourhood may not be conducive to walking. Or,
some students may have to travel a great distance to get to school. However, schools can still
participate in International Walk to School Week in one or more of the following ways:
Make an agreement with those responsible for bussing so that the students are dropped
off 1 km from the school. From this location, an adult can lead the way to school on
foot!
If this option is not possible, encourage students to walk before classes begin, either
around the park adjacent to your school, to a nearby park or trail, or to another
destination.
If it’s not possible to schedule the event before class begins, organize a walk during lunch
or recess.
There are many ways for children to enjoy more walking and cycling. All it takes is a little imagination!
3
A Brief History of International Walk to School Week
In 1976, the Danish City of Odense launched the Safe Routes to School project in response to the
large number of children killed by traffic collisions. Community members, teachers, politicians
and civil servants gathered to change dangerous streets into safe streets. Three years later, the
annual accident rate had fallen by 85 percent.
Since then, Safe Routes to School programs have started around the world in places such as the
United Kingdom, Australia, France, Japan and the United States. In Ontario, Greenest City was
the first organization to launch this program with the participation of three schools from the
Toronto region. During this same time (1997), the Greater Vancouver Regional District
(GVRD) financed a project based on a model to promote active transportation, which led to the
creation of the Way to Go! School Program.
Soon after, the Active & Safe Routes to School was implemented throughout the rest of Canada.
Go for Green coordinates the initiative nationally in collaboration with provincial and territorial
partners, listed on pages 17 – 18 in this booklet.
Walk to School Day
In 1997, Walk Our Children to School Day was launched in Chicago by the Partnership for a
Walkable America. On September 23, 1998, Go for Green launched the national Active & Safe
Routes to School program, in conjunction with Canada’s first national Walk to School Day at
Elgin Street Public School in Ottawa. The event has grown each year. In 2003, over 1,900
schools across Canada took part.
International Walk to School Week
In 2004, International Walk to School Day expanded from one day to a whole week. Schools can
choose the day to celebrate. Or even better, students can walk every day of the week!
Congratulations to all participants and organizers!
Walk to School Day,
R.H. McGregor Public School
Toronto, Ontario
4
Before the Event
Get ready, get set… here are some ideas to help you get started on planning your
International Walk to School Week event.
Recruit volunteers
Ask for International Walk to School Week volunteers at your Parent Council and Student
Council meetings.
Promote the event in your school newsletter, or send a notice home with students. You can
use the sample poster promoting International Walk to School Week (available on Go for
Green’s Web site at www.goforgreen.ca/asrts) or if you prefer, create your own poster.
Get the word out to the community
Display International Walk to School Week posters in your local libraries, community
centres, grocery stores and other public places.
See appendices for other ideas…
Invite local dignitaries and guest speakers
Invite local dignitaries (mayor, city/town councillors, police chief) to join the walk.
Invite guest speakers (e.g. police, bike safety groups) to speak about safety issues.
Enlist help from Community Partners
Approach local businesses for prize donations to recognize the class with the highest
participation.
Approach local businesses to donate juice, snacks, or treats for the day’s festivities.
Distribute safety information to students
Contact organizations such as the Canadian Tire Protection Foundation, Block Parent
Association or Canadian Safety Council for free materials that address street safety, bullying
and safe cycling.
5
Make safer routes to school
Invite your community police officer(s) to provide extra safe ‘eyes on the street’ on the day
of the event.
Ask for volunteers to create a volunteer patrol for crosswalks on the day. This patrol could be
put in place year round as part of the Active & Safe Routes to School program.
Fun stuff for the students!
Make a 'golden shoe' out of an old sneaker by painting or decorating it, and present the
'golden shoe award' to the class with the highest participation on the day.
Invite mascots or cheerleaders to join in the celebration.
Ask children to make hats and buttons to wear during the event.
Encourage students to think and talk about the event!
Ask younger students to draw pictures illustrating the benefits of active transportation
(e.g. reducing climate change, cleaner air, increased physical activity and better health, and a
sense of community.)
Hold a school assembly to discuss the benefits of walking and cycling to school.
Ask students to create announcements to read on the school’s Public Address system.
Ask students to design a Walk to School Week banner that can be displayed outside the
school.
Encourage students to make signs to carry during the Walk. These make great photographs!
Invite students to prepare poems or songs about walking to school and ‘perform’ them on the
school’s Public Address system or at an assembly.
Invite local media
Ask local media to cover the event.
6
At the Event
For children…
During the Walk, children can carry signs and wear hats or buttons made for the event.
Children can participate in races, relays, or other fun events.
Students might like to make a presentation on why they like to walk or cycle to school.
For adults…
Celebrate students’ participation as they cross into the schoolyard.
Supply juice and healthy snacks, stickers, pencils etc. provided by local businesses.
Take photographs of the event.
Enjoy the day!
7
After the Event
Post the results of any contests or competitions, and award the prizes.
Plan other special days to encourage students and staff to walk or cycle to school. Or start
an Active & Safe Routes to School program in your school.
Share your experience. Please share your story by forwarding news clippings, artwork and
photographs to Go for Green. Please complete the Permission Form on page 24, and ensure
that you have followed your school policy regarding publishing student names.
Complete the Feedback Form for a chance to win Walk to School Awards from Go for
Green. The form, available online at www.goforgreen.ca/asrts, must be submitted one week
after the event.
Have children write about the highlights of their day or draw a picture to show what the
day meant to them. Send stories to Go for Green at [email protected] for possible use on
Go for Green’s Web site or in future resources.
8
TEN GOOD REASONS
To Walk to School Together
It’s fun
It’s healthy
It’s non-polluting
It’s friendly
It reduces stress
It’s a chance to teach and learn road safety skills
It’s considerate
It’s educational
It’s economical
It’s a reminder that streets could be safer
This list was jointly compiled by the pedestrians’ association UK and travelwise UK.
9
“Why Walk” Fact Sheet
For Climate Change and Air Quality
Of the energy used in Canada, 27% goes to transportation. Passenger travel accounts for
over 60% of fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions from the transportation
sector. (Retrofitting Canadian Communities for Sustainable & Healthy Active
Transportation, Go for Green, 1997)
The annual cost of air pollution from urban auto travel is estimated at $15 billion.
(Retrofitting Communities for Sustainable & Healthy Active Transportation, Go for Green,
1997)
For Health
According to medical experts, there is no pill that holds as much promise for sustained
health as a lifetime program of regular physical activity. Even moderate physical activity
can improve your health. Currently, 63% of Canadians aren't active enough to achieve the
health benefits associated with daily physical activity. (Canada 's Physical Activity Guide
to Healthy Active Living, Health Canada and the Canadian Society for Exercise
Physiology, 1998). This figure could be reduced if children learn the habit of undertaking
regular physical activity early in life and maintain the habit throughout the rest of their
lives.
Children should expend 6 to 8 kilocalories per day for each kilogram of body weight. For
example, a half-hour of vigorous play plus walking for an hour throughout the day is
sufficient. The activity need not be continuous, and all kinds of physical activities are
included, such as those done en route. (1997 Physical Activity Benchmarks: Highlights
Report, The Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute, 1997)
For Safety
Twenty-one percent of the Canadian population are contributing to local traffic congestion
(approximately 6 million young citizens, children/youth aged 5 to 19 years) by spending
many of their 12 million daily trips, 60 million weekly home-to-school commutes in nonactive modes of transportation. (The Health of Canada’s Children: A CICH Profile (2nd
Edition), Canadian Institute of Child Health, 1994)
Traffic injuries are already the leading cause of serious injury and death among school-
aged children and youth (The Health of Canada’s Children: A CICH Profile (2nd Edition),
Canadian Institute of Child Health, 1994). Over the short term, driving children to school
puts them at risk when cars collect along school streets, school parking lots and
neighbourhood driveways, creating chaos for children who have to dodge around cars in
order to enter their schoolyard. Over the long term, it teaches children auto dependency
practices at a time when seeking active, independent and environmentally sound choices
are desirable. (Dr. Cindy Hunt, Active & Safe Routes to School, Canadian Institute of Child
Health, 1998)
In Canada, neighbourhood schools report more than 50% of the student body is frequently
chauffeured to school by parents. (Way to Go School Program – Small Steps Toward a Big
Difference, Kowey, Hunter and Associates, 1998)
10
For the Community
In addition to obvious physical health benefits, cycling, like walking, is a particularly
sociable activity and means of travel; it allows face-to-face contact with people and easy
discovery and exploration of natural and cultural amenities throughout the community.
Thus, it helps enrich community interaction and thereby promotes a sense of belonging and
social cohesiveness. (The Case for Active & Safe Routes to School, Go for Green, 1999)
Improving the design of streetscapes for pedestrians and transit operations can result in
lower-cost urban infrastructure and reduced social isolation for those without access to
automobiles. (Sustainable Transportation in Canada (Backgrounder), National Round
Table on the Environment and the Economy, 1996)
11
Public Service Announcements – Sample
Sample #1: 30 seconds
Hey parents and caregivers! If you have children in school, get out your favourite walking shoes!
On (date), children across Canada will be asking you to participate in International Walk to
School Day. This special day is being held to demonstrate support for the reduction of climate
change, cleaner air, increased physical activity, and less traffic congestion around our schools.
So plan to participate in International Walk to School Week with YOUR children!
Sample #2: 30 seconds
Every weekday, many students are DRIVEN the short distance to their neighbourhood schools.
The result is polluted air, inactive children and traffic congestion around schools. But there is a
simple solution—ACTIVE transportation, like walking, biking or in-line skating. On (date),
thousands of children, parents, caregivers and teachers across Canada will participate in
International Walk to School Week. They will walk for the reduction of climate change, cleaner
air, healthier children, and safer streets. On (date), how will YOU get to school?
Sample #3: 45 seconds
Think about it. Every weekday, many Canadian children are DRIVEN short distances to their
neighbourhood schools. The result? Two-thirds of children and youth are not active enough to
lay a solid foundation for future health and well-being. Our air is polluted from vehicle
emissions, and traffic congestion around schools is a real hazard.
But there is a simple solution. Get your children to school by using ACTIVE transportation—
like walking, biking or in-line skating. On (date), join thousands of Canadians in celebration of
International Walk to School Week. Parents, caregivers, students and school staff will
demonstrate their support for the reduction of climate change, cleaner air, healthier students, and
safer streets. On (date), get out YOUR walking shoes and use ACTIVE transportation to get to
school!
12
Municipal Proclamation - Sample
[City/Municipality letterhead]
Proclamation
International Walk to School Week
(date)
Whereas: [City/Municipality Name] annual International Walk to School Week will
be held from ________ (date).
Whereas: this event, taking place across Canada, will focus on the benefits of
walking rather than driving to school, reducing climate change and creating cleaner,
safer and environmentally healthier school neighbourhoods for our children; and
Whereas: this event affords parents and caregivers the opportunity to spend more
time with their children; reduces car use and traffic hazards; promotes physical
activity and contributes to a safer community.
Now therefore: I, [Name of Mayor], Mayor of [City/Municipality Name], do
hereby proclaim _______(date), as International Walk to School Week and
encourage everyone to participate in this very worthwhile event.
[Name of Mayor]
Mayor
13
News Release - Sample
Hundreds of Schools to Participate in International Walk to
School Week
Students and parents walk for safer communities, personal health, and a cleaner environment.
Hundreds of schools across Canada will participate in a special event on _____(date) that will
see parents and students leave the family vehicle at home in favour of getting to class on their
own two feet. International Walk to School Week is designed to make streets and communities
safer, and improve the health of students and the environment.
Schools in every province and territory will participate. The international event is coordinated
nationally by Go for Green in collaboration with Green Communities Association in Ontario; the
Way to Go! School Program in British Columbia; Resource Conservation Manitoba; Ecology
Action Centre in Nova Scotia; SHAPE in Alberta; and Go for Green’s 13 provincial/territorial
board members.
According to the National Coordinator of Go for Green’s Active & Safe Routes to School, "So
many kids are being driven to school these days, creating all kinds of problems including traffic
congestion around schools, air pollution, and a lack of exercise for children. There is also a loss
of sense of community and security when people quit walking their neighbourhood streets."
It is hoped that the campaign will begin to reverse the habit of driving to school—a habit that has
clearly become ingrained. In Canada, neighbourhood schools report more than 50% of the
student body are frequently chauffeured to school by parents.
One-quarter of Canadian children are overweight, and that proportion has been increasing. Some
of the health risks of inactivity include earlier onset heart disease, osteoporosis, type two
diabetes, and high blood pressure.
Improved health is not the only benefit of walking. Additional pluses are a healthier environment
and safer communities. Greenhouse gas emissions are decreased when people choose nonmotorized transportation, which is an important factor in fighting global climate change. Traffic
congestion around schools is also reduced, and neighbourhood life is revitalized by the increased
presence of people on the streets.
Calling it an opportunity to celebrate the joy of walking, the National Coordinator says,
“International Walk to School Week will expose parents and caregivers, who normally drive
children to school, to the ease and benefits of the walking alternative.”
For more information on International Walk to School Week visit Go for Green’s Website at:
http://www.goforgreen.ca/walktoschool or call toll-free 1-888-UB-ACTIV (822-2848).
14
15
Permission Form
Please complete a Permission Sheet for the items you are sending (photos, artwork,
newspaper clippings etc.)
I, ___________________________________, am sending to Go for Green
(Number and type of item(s))____________________________________________________
I would like Go for Green to return this item to me.
I give my permission to Go for Green to use these items for the purposes of promotion, education
and awareness involved in the development and implementation of initiatives for International
Walk to School Week and the Active & Safe Routes to School national program.
School: ____________________________________________________________________________
Address: ____________________________________________________________________________
School Phone: (_______) ________________________
Signature: _____________________________________ Title:_________________________________
Date:_________________________________________
Mail to: Go for Green, 16-5480 Canotek Road, Gloucester, Ontario K1J 9H6 (613) 748-1800 x101
Thank you for your contribution to International Walk to School Week!
16
Contact Information
In Ontario, please contact:
Green Communities Association
57 Douglas Ave.
Toronto, ON M5M 1G4
Telephone: (416) 488-7263
Fax: (416) 488-2296
Email: [email protected]
Web site www.saferoutestoschool.ca
In British Columbia, please contact:
Way to Go! School Program
3538 West 24th Avenue
Vancouver, B.C. V6S 1L4
Telephone: (604) 732-1511
Toll Free Number: 1-877-325-3636
Fax: (604) 733-0711
Email: [email protected]
Web site: www.waytogo.icbc.bc.ca
In Nova Scotia, please contact:
In Alberta, please contact:
In Manitoba, please contact:
Ecology Action Centre
1568 Argyle Street, Suite 31
Halifax, NS, B3J 2B3
Telephone: (902) 429 2202
Fax: (902) 422-6410
Email: [email protected]
Web site: www.ecologyaction.ca
SHAPE Alberta
Box 69102, 13915 – 127 Street
Edmonton, AB T6V 1G7
Telephone: (780) 406-8530
Fax: (780) 406-8564
Email: [email protected]
Web site: www.shapeab.com/
Resource Conservation Manitoba
2nd Floor, 70 Albert Street
Winnipeg, MB R3B 1E7
Telephone: (204) 925-3773
Fax: (204) 989-8476
Email: [email protected]
Web site: www.resourceconservation.mb.ca
17
In all other provinces, please contact:
Active & Safe Routes to School
Go for Green
5480 Canotek Road, Unit 16
Gloucester, ON K1J 9H6
Telephone: (613) 748-1800
Toll Free Number: 1-888-822-2848
Fax: (613) 748-0357
Email: [email protected]
Web site: www.goforgreen.ca/asrts
Visit the official Web site for the International Walk to School Week at www.iwalktoschool.org.
We would like to express our gratitude to Health Canada for its support of the program.
18