A predominantly Latino elementary school proves that morning exercise through a walking school bus program can benefit students, parents, and the community. Not only have school attendance rates increased, community engagement levels have increased, too. A Walking School Bus at Brightwood Elementary School in Springfield, Mass., now offers hope—and physical activity—to a community that not long ago faced fears of unsafe streets and high crime rates. Karen Pohlman, a nurse practitioner and community program manager for Baystate Medical Center, knew the community was struggling and wanted to improve people’s health, so she developed a plan to implement a walking school bus at Brightwood Elementary.
EMERGENCE
Awareness: Crime was high in the North End of Springfield, Mass., which ...
Leaders living in the city of Ceres have united to bring the community access to healthy foods and a walking school bus (WSB) program. Prior to the implementation of the WSB, students living less than a mile away from the school would arrive to school by car. Now with the help of parent volunteers, students at Don Pedro elementary are able to spend extra time doing physical activity. The video talks about the WSB program at Don Pedro elementary. Volunteers in this program are assigned a specific route to ensure that children participating in the WSB arrive to school safe and ready to ...
According to this blog from La Union Union Del Pueblo Entero (LUPE), Colonia residents in Hidalgo County are working with LUPE to find assistance for the development of safe walking trails and parks for their children. Children living in colonias---small, impoverished settlements between the US-Mexican border---often lack clean and safe areas to play due to a lack of proper waste collection and street lighting in their neighborhoods. Often parents would rather keep their children indoors than have them end up playing near fields filled with waste. According to various blog entries posted by LUPE, in 2011 colonia residents were working with local officials to see what kind of improvements could be brought their ...
Beginning in January 2013, volunteers will guide children who live within a one mile radius to schools through a walking school bus program in Marana County, AZ. According to a news article from the Arizona Daily Star, three schools belonging to the Marana Unified School District in Marana, Arizona, will participate in this program thanks to a $4.5 million grant provided to 27 Safe Routes to School projects by the Arizona Transportation Board. A walking school bus program promotes physical activity in children before and after school, helps reduce traffic congestion, The first school in the Marana Unified School District to start a walking school bus program was Estes elementary school. In December of 2012, 75 students from this school walked to school. View the registration ...
In December of 2012, the U.S. Surgeon General announced a call to action for walking.
Walking is an activity that is a feasible and affordable means of physical activity for most individuals. However, for many Latinos access to safe places for walking and recreation remains a challenge.
The CDC is going to produce a Surgeon General’s report that is “a call to action on walking.” This will be accompanied by a national campaign for walking.
“We want to lend the voice of the Office of the Surgeon General to this particular physical activity,” said Dr. Regina Benjamin. “It’s easy to do, anyone can do it and it’s fun.” America Walks is a national coalition that seeks to mobilize individuals, organizations and businesses to increase walking and walkability in America. By ...
A group of 24 Spanish speaking women in Bakersfield, who were part of a walking group, recognized the need for improvements in their local park. In order to get these improvements they worked with the Central California Regional Obesity Prevention (CCROP) Program to conduct a walkability assessment of their neighborhood. The information collected through the assessment was presented before the city council, and city officials agreed to provide resources for the improvements that were needed. Later the walking group was able to gather additional support from the Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce ($10,000) to create a walking path. Once funds for the path were available, volunteers from throughout the community showed up to the park to construct the walking path and even the children ...
In October of 2012, Lincoln School in Prescott became the first school in Yavapai County to implement a Walking School Bus program. According to this report from The Daily Courier, so far parents and students have given positive feedback about the program. In the article, Lincoln Principal Teresa Bruso said: "We are excited to offer this program...It's a great opportunity for students to build community and healthy lifestyles as the walk to school each day." A non-profit organization called Prescott Alternative Transportation (PAT) received a grant, which helped the program get started. A few months prior to starting the program the Arizona Department of Transportation sponsored a walking school bus, workshop taught by PedNet. The workshop helped equip PAT with the tools necessary ...
Schools belonging to the Northside Independent School District (NISD) in San Antonio, Texas, will use funds received through Safe Routes to School Programs to improve sidewalks and infrastructure near Glass elementary and Pat Neff middle school. This, February 2011, NISD slideshow presentation describes the difference between the infrastructure and non-infrastructure Safe Routes to School grants. It also provides an overview of the planned projects and a timeline for when they are expected to be completed. According to this letter, authored by District 7 Council member Cris Medina, through the city's general obligation funds and a matching Safe Routes to School Grant, the $1.2 million project is expected to be completed by the winter of 2012. This brochure describes where ...
According to a news article from The Reporter, health advocacy groups are working with state policy makers in Pennsylvania to develop legislation that would create a specific fund to support the construction of walking and bike trails. Groups like the Mission: Readiness organization---an organization of retired military leaders---are concerned that childhood obesity has become an issue of national security and have called on state lawmakers to develop a comprehensive transportation plan that would include active modes of transportation. The news story reports that legislators plan on proposing a whole sales tax on fuel sold to gas stations to support the development of trails. They are hoping that this tax would help raise between $2.5 billion and $2.8 billion a year for new ...
