This month kids are heading back to school, but the weather is still nice — so why not let them walk or bike to school and get fresh air and exercise? The Colorado Department of Transportation has a program that encourages just that. The Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program helps schools and communities provide a safe environment for students while also encouraging physical activity:
According to the SRTS website, in 1969 about half of all schoolchildren walked or biked to school; today, 90% are driven by auto or bus. Accordingly, today’s childhood obesity rates are much higher than they were fifty years ago. The SRTS program is available to help schools and communities in a variety of ways, whether it be to paint crosswalks, hire crossing guards, provide educational programs, or set up groups known as “walking school buses,” where large groups of students walk together.
If your school or community is considering partnering in the SRTS program, or you just want to provide education on safe walking and biking, our library has some helpful resources, including
- Adult School Crossing Guard Guidelines
- Bicycle Safety Lesson Plans, 3rd through 6th Grade
- Bicycling and Walking in Colorado
- Colorado Bicycling Manual
- Colorado Guide for the Development of Local and Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Plans
- Colorado Safe Routes to School Community Coalition Building Toolkit
- Core Subject Lesson Plans, Kindergarten through 8th Grade
- Implementation of the Safe Routes to School Program
- Marked Crosswalks
- Pedestrian Safety [lesson plans]: Kindergarten through 3rd Grade
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