Schools across Sonoma County are back in session and the Safe Routes to School program is here to encourage families to walk, bike, scooter or skate to school.
Safe Routes to School partners with over 50 schools across the county to promote human-powered transportation. We support weekly or monthly Walk and Roll to School events, where students are rewarded with snacks and prizes, such as the coveted Golden Sneaker Award for the class with the most walkers and rollers.
We also encourage students to participate in monthly challenges, such as mapping their route to school, tallying the days they walked or rolled to school or creating artwork about the health benefits of walking and rolling. Students who participate in these challenge are entered into a drawing for prizes.
Soon, our educators will begin teaching classroom-based bike and pedestrian safety, and before long it will be time for bike rodeos – the much-anticipated on-bike skill-building classes that we offer at schools throughout the county.
In addition to working directly with students, Safe Routes to School works with school administrators to address concerns about local bike and pedestrian infrastructure or any barriers to walking and rolling to school that families might face. We create maps and routes for bike trains and walking school buses, and provide alternatives like “Park and Walk” for families who live further away from school. It is our goal to create a culture of joy for walking and rolling.
–Danielle McElwee, Safe Routes to School educator