Dept. Of Inspired Ideas: Walk To School Month
Subscribe to the Blog RSS FeedWe live in a nation where the majority of our population lives in cities and towns – and that means that schools are usually within walking distance of our homes. October is International Walk to School Month, a global initiative to take back our streets and make our neighborhoods more “walkable.”
Though the whole month of October is Walk to School Month, October 7 (tomorrow!) is the official Walk to School Day and there are events happening all across the country – and the world – to celebrate.
Why walk to school? Here’s what the International Walk to School website had to say:
The goal of the walk varies from community to community. Some walks rally for safer and improved streets, some to promote healthier habits and some to conserve the environment. Whatever the reason, International Walk to School events encourage a more walkable world – one community at a time.
International Walk to School is more than just getting together with children and going for a walk to school as a special event. This is certainly important, but the event's greater aim is to bring forth permanent change in communities across the globe.
So what happens if it’s too far to walk? Well, the International Walk to School in the USA website suggests setting up a designated meeting place where you can park and walk from there. The idea isn’t to hike miles and miles – it’s to get people moving and interested in the benefits of walking (and if it is too far to walk, and you are old enough, how about a bicycle?).
Another frequently asked question is what if it isn’t safe to walk. And, unfortunately, that can happen a lot in many of our communities. Walk around on campus or another place where you feel safe and use the opportunity to hold a press conference and draw attention to safety concerns.
So, got an idea of a cool walking-inspired event? Register it here and make sure you walk your kids (or yourself) to school on October 7.
Here's an idea of some cool things that you can learn from Walk to School Day:
