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Background
Transportation choices for travel to and from school impact emissions in communities throughout the province. These, in turn, present concerns that impact individuals, families and schools that include air quality, person health and fitness, productivity, and safety. Providing access to programs and resources that enable individual school communities to undertake initiatives to reduce emissions, track their results and participate in a collective effort across the province is the key aspect of this program. It assembles tools to varied groups with varied needs.
STEPS to ACTION
Steps to encourage safe and active modes of transportation, address air quality, traffic issues and pedestrian safety, and develop a program or initiative that works for your school.
- IDENTIFY the problem or issue you want to address and how you will measure success. Is it health and fitness, emissions and air pollution, social responsibility, the number of vehicles and student safety, or encouraging a sense of community?
- INVITE your school community to consider the traffic, safety, environmental or health issues. Identify the opportunities for student learning, healthier lifestyle choices and benefits to the neighbourhood to engage a variety of school community representatives and form a team. For example, student, teacher, parent, administrator, health professional, local government agency responsible for monitoring/regulating air quality, municipal planner from traffic division, cycling safety professional, etc.
- PLAN course of action for your school and select hub resources to assist the team. Here are some ideas:
- Participate in International Walk to School day.
- Implement a Walking School Bus program at your school.
- Invite an organization to teach students about bicycle safety before an obstacle course for cyclists competition
- Get students working with local government to explore and map safe routes to school and develop and present traffic-calming proposals for local council to implement.
- Encourage the use of public or school transit by hosting events that teach families and children about riding the bus.
- CREATE tools to communicate the cause to others, along with incentives and a call-to-action.
- LAUNCH the news or an activity-based event to engage your school community.
- DELIVER REMINDERS to the school.
- MEASURE the results using the MyTravel tool.
- SHOWCASE achievement.
- EVALUATE and CELEBRATE the team, its action and the results achieved.
- REPORT results.
