Issue #2

A Lovely Day for a WalkA lovely day for a walk

Spring has sprung! The weather is warming up and the sun is shining. Can you think of a better time to encourage students at your community’s school to start walking and biking?

Why not take advantage of the seasonal shift and hold a spring walk and bike to school day? It’s easy to plan, promote, and hold an event at your school when you follow these simple steps.

1. Pick your team
If you’re not already on the staff of a school or the school board, you’ll want to recruit a decision maker to help organize the event. Faculty and staff will likely have to do most of the organizing, so be sure to get buy-in from the principal and teachers at different grade levels.

2. Decide on a day
Nebraska is planning to hold a statewide Spring Walk to School Day on April 23. Feel free to hold yours on the same day to capitalize on publicity associated with other schools doing the same thing. However, if this doesn’t work for you, it’s OK to hold your event on any day you choose.

3. Make an agenda
Decide what the day will entail. Will there be treats greeting kids who walk and bike to school in the morning? Will there be a walk/bike-a-thon at recess with prizes? Will the bulk of the event be held after school? Decide on activities that will enable the most kids to participate and that are easy for the school’s staff to facilitate.

4. Make it a learning experience
There are plenty of ways to include information about the importance of walking and biking, road safety, and more into the classroom. Wide varieties of in-class activities that fit with state education standards are available.

5. Promote the event
Now that you know when and what your event will be, it’s time to start letting people know. Hang posters around school. Send a letter or flyer home to parents so they’re aware. Once you register your day, you’ll have access to professionally designed marketing materials so you can make the most of your event! Talk to local radio stations about getting free airtime to promote this important event. And don’t forget to talk up the event at PTA and other organization meetings.

6. Prep personnel
To make sure the event runs smoothly, you’ll need people to run activities, act as crossing guards, hand out prizes, or handle whatever activities you have planned for the day. Start working with your committee to delegate these responsibilities early and make sure everyone knows what to do.

7. Have fun!
Remember, the whole point of this event is to encourage kids to walk or bike to school. If you show them that it can be fun, they’re more likely to keep up the habit.

Find more information about Safe Routes Nebraska and how to encourage kids in your community to walk and bike to school on our website.

Safe Routes in action: McCook’s big plans for its Safe Routes programSafe Routes in action: McCook’s big plans for its Safe Routes program

The southwestern Nebraska city of McCook recently received funding for its Safe Routes program. And program leaders haven’t wasted any time. Lynda Baumbach, principal at McCook Elementary, filled us in on what’s been happening with McCook’s ambitious—and so far, successful—program.

Information is power
The McCook program has already begun distributing educational materials to students and parents. Nutritional brochures were developed by working with Julie Neighbors of the Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department. Informational brochures about the program for parents have also been produced. And with the help of the police, a Safe Routes to School map for kids has also been created.

“Police Chief Ike Brown will be doing a radio program with me,” said Baumbach. “We work with them all the time about traffic patterns around our schools.”

In the classrooms
The program has even made its way into the school’s classrooms. Physical Education classes now include a nutrition component for kids in kindergarten through eighth grade.

“Bringing PE teachers on board was easy,” said Baumbach. “We made them a part of our team. They are instrumental in making this program a success.”
 
Student participation
The McCook program has worked hard to engage students. The primary effort to this end has been the giveaway of pedometers to all students in third through eighth grades. Students have been using the pedometers to track their steps throughout the month of March, with a prize going to the student who logs the most steps.

“The PE teachers, classroom teachers, and parents are responsible for logging steps,” said Baumbach.

Big events
McCook held a Walk to School Day on March 26. The event was a huge success! “We had many parents walk their children to school and many who organized walking school buses,” said Baumbach. “It was great!” 

The event received coverage from the local newspaper with an article and editorial on the benefits of walking to stay physically fit. The local radio station did an interview with Baumbach and the police chief about the program, running parts of it for the week prior to the Walk to School Day. 

McCook will also be participating in Nebraska’s first-ever Spring Walk to School Day on Wednesday, April 23.

What’s the key?
Clearly, one element of McCook’s success is the strategic partnerships the program leaders have established. By working with the Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department, the local police, the PTO, teachers, and parents, McCook’s program leaders have created a wide net of resources they can continue to tap as they expand their program throughout the year.

Safe Routes in the classroomSafe Routes in the classroom

When it comes to encouraging kids to walk and bike to school, teachers can play a pivotal role. That’s why Safe Routes Nebraska has developed a series of age-appropriate, in-class activities that teachers can use to help educate their students on this topic.

Download the right in-class activity guide.

Best of all, each activity is based on the Nebraska education standards.

You’ll find a guide for every age group from kindergarten to eighth grade. The activities teach kids about walking-related subjects such as:

The in-class activity guides from Safe Routes Nebraska make it easy for teachers to incorporate these important lessons while still teaching to the state’s education standards.

Be sure to check these activities out or recommend them to a teacher you know.

Keeping an eye outKeeping an eye out

One of the main reasons so many kids don’t walk or bike to school is parental fear. Many parents are afraid of letting their kids navigate the roads unsupervised. And let’s face it: not all of these fears are unfounded.

The good news is that your kids can still walk or bike to school. Here are some simple ways you can make sure they stay safe on the way to school.

  1. Organize a walking school bus

Start by bringing together other parents who want their kids to walk to school. Each parent will take a turn being the “bus driver” and walking to the houses to pick up kids who want to walk to school. By walking in a group with parental supervision, your child will be in a safe position to get more physical activity each day.

  1. Set up checkpoints along the path

If your child is old enough to walk alone but you’re still concerned, try working with neighbors to set up checkpoints where your child can run if trouble should arise. If your child knows exactly where to go for help, it’s easier for both of you to be confident in the safety of the route.

  1. Be the eyes and ears

Sometimes the best way to accomplish something is to do it yourself. Consider rearranging your work schedule so you can walk your child to school each morning or home each afternoon. This way, you’ll know for certain that your child is safe and getting the exercise she needs.

  1. Use a park and walk stop

There’s no rule that says the only right route to school is the one from your home. Why not drop your child off a safe distance from the school in a neighborhood you’re comfortable with? If it’s a community that has other kids walking, it’ll be easy for your child to find safety in numbers.

  1. Set up the route with your child

A simple way to put your mind at ease is to work with your child to develop the best route to school. Walk the route with him on the weekend and point out potential hazards as well as safe places the child can go if he needs help. Knowing the route your child will walk or bike each day is a big first step in feeling comfortable.

Find out more information about how to develop the safest route for your child.

Kelly MorganQuestions for Kelly

Kelly Morgan serves as the Program Coordinator for Safe Routes Nebraska. Throughout the year, she receives and responds to any question you can imagine. Here are some of the most common queries to cross her desk:

 

 

Q:  As a parent, I feel the need to drop my children off at the school’s front door and watch them walk into the school building. I understand they could be getting the exercise they need if I allowed them to walk to school. How can I ease up?

A:  Sign up to lead a walking school bus. Maybe start with just once per week, and increase the number as you feel comfortable. You’ll get quality time with your children, you and your children will get the exercise you need, you’ll meet more neighbors who can watch out for children along the route, and you’ll see your children to the school door!

Q:  I am afraid to ask my work for the flexibility to walk or ride bikes with my children to school. Any suggestions for how to approach this?

A:  Studies show that by promoting a culture of fitness, organizations can increase productivity, reduce absenteeism, lower turnover, decrease health care costs, and encourage employees to live longer, stronger, healthier lives. To help make your case, maybe share with your employer how workplaces have been successful at implementing wellness programs—learn more by reading this article.

Another suggestion would be to research opportunities to accredit your workplace as a “fit-friendly” organization, which could include a program that encourages employees to walk to school with their children. There are many programs, with one being the American Heart Association’s Start Program!

Q:  My neighborhood is like a racetrack in the mornings. How can I get drivers to slow down so I can feel more comfortable with allowing my children to walk and bike to school?

A:  Many parents feel the same way that you do, so team up with other concerned parents and ask local law enforcement if you can borrow a speed radar device to monitor morning traffic. You may find those speeding in your neighborhood are parents who just need a friendly reminder to slow down.

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