Safe Routes to School E-News
Issue #103: September 2014
Safe Routes to School E-News is a monthly email newsletter published by the Safe Routes Partnership (Safe Routes Partnership), which is leading the national movement for Safe Routes to School by coordinating and energizing more than 650 organizations, government agencies, schools and professional groups. Our mission is to advance safe walking and bicycling to and from schools, and in daily life, to improve the health and well-being of America’s children and to foster the creation of livable, sustainable communities.
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To receive future issues of E-News, email info@saferoutespartnership.org.
In this issue:
- The Role of Safe Routes to School in Fighting Childhood Obesity
- Apply for Free Technical Assistance from the Safe Routes Partnership
- The Latest from Capitol Hill
- Take a Short Survey About Your Work With Safe Routes to School
- Getting Ready for Walk to School Day
- Safe Routes Partnership Welcomes New Staff
- Back to School Doesn’t Mean the End of Play
- Register for Our Next Free Webinar on Shared Use
- News from the Field
- Highlighted Blogs
1. The Role of Safe Routes to School in Fighting Childhood Obesity
September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, and there’s no better time to take advantage of opportunities to link physical activity to childhood health. Childhood physical activity is related to better health, higher test scores, and fewer behavioral problems. This month, here are several ways for Safe Routes to School advocates to advance healthy community design and build momentum for walking, bicycling, and Safe Routes to School as a key part of the movement to reverse childhood obesity.
- Learn about how underserved communities can receive free technical assistance to advance shared use and Complete Streets policies
- Connect with us at our Pro Walk Pro Bike session onmaking it easier to access federal walk/bike funding
- Plan a Walk to School Day event on October 8
- Read about two different communities that embracedshared use as a strategy to increase physical activity
Do you have a story about a community or group embracing innovative strategies to increase physical activity and reverse childhood obesity? Share your story with us so that we can put the spotlight on you.
2. Apply for Free Technical Assistance from the Safe Routes Partnership
The Safe Routes Partnership is seeking applications from organizations and communities in need of technical assistance to support campaign efforts related to shared use agreements and street scale improvements in underserved communities. Campaign efforts may include passing Complete Streets policies, getting shared use agreements in place, or other policy efforts relating to Safe Routes to School. The technical assistance we will provide can range from providing resources, to assisting with the creation of campaign plans and platforms, to providing communications strategies and coaching to ensure a successful campaign.
Click here to learn more about this technical assistance, how to apply, and our work to engage, organize and mobilize communities to improve their health and reverse the childhood obesity epidemic. The deadline for applications is September 26, 2014. Learn more.
3. The Latest from Capitol Hill
August may be slow here in Washington D.C., but the coming several months are a great time for you at home to highlight the changes Safe Routes to School are making in your community. With somewhere in the ballpark of 20 legislative days left before the end of the year and mid-term elections just around the corner, you can bet members of Congress will be at home and engaged in their communities. And with school already back in session for many children across the country, there couldn't be a better time to engage your leaders. Read more in our blog about the tools we've created to help you get involved.
4. Take a Short Survey About Your Work With Safe Routes to School
We would like your feedback about the types of services and support you would like to have access to in your work to advance Safe Routes to School, walking and bicycling. Please take a few minutes to complete this short survey about the type of services offered by the Safe Routes Partnership and how we can support your work. We are also collecting information on potential dates and locations for the 2015 Safe Routes to School National Conference.
Your response will help us shape our program offerings to better serve you with assistance and support in your work.
Click here to take the survey.
5. Getting Ready for Walk to School Day
It’s time to fire up your feet for International Walk to School Day! If you’re looking for resources to start or enhance an event at your school, here are a few tips.
- Make Fire Up Your Feet your first stop for information and support for joining the movement for healthy, active schools. You can register to track activity during the month October or watch our short instructional videos to learn the basics of encouraging your family and school to be healthy and physically active with Fire Up Your Feet.
- Get free product from Clif Kid for your Walk to School Day event. The Safe Routes Partnership is happy to partner with CLIF Kid to support schools participating in Walk to School Day on October 8! Sign up now to receive a FREE Clif Kid Kit to support your school's efforts with activity sheets, safety tips, and plenty of CLIF Kid Zfruit and Zfruit + Veggie ropes. First come, first serve! Sign up here.
- Don’t forget to register your Walk to School Day event at walkbiketoschool.org to ensure your efforts are counted as part of the nationwide movement for walking and bicycling.
6. Safe Routes Partnership Welcomes New Staff
We are pleased to welcome Michelle Lieberman as our Technical Assistance Program Manager. Michelle will provide technical assistance through the Safe Routes Partnership’s emerging consulting program to local communities around the country that are seeking to improve their built environment and Safe Routes to School initiatives. With a background in urban planning and public health, Michelle is committed to developing healthy communities through planning and policy development that supports the health and well-being of all community members.
7. Back to School Doesn’t Mean the End of Play
Across the country, communities are rethinking physical activity and the increasing role schools play in increasing opportunities for children and the community to be physically active on the way to and from school, as well as during and after school. On our blog, read about how two very different communities – Cumberland Valley, Kentucky and Los Angeles, California – are both are finding success in a shared strategy to ensure their communities can be physically active. Read more.
8. Register for Our Next Free Webinar on Shared Use
Our technical assistance webinar series features expert speakers, a chat feature for participants, and archived downloadable post-webinar recordings. Join us for our next webinar:
Shared Use: Tools You Can Use
September 29th at 1pm Eastern – Register here
This webinar will highlight tools that can be used to advance shared use practices, including the Joint Use Calculator, ChangeLab's Open Use Policy and the Safe Routes Partnership's Shared Use Clearinghouse.
Youth council steps out for pedestrian safety
The policy managers working on the Regional Network Projectnot only work to improve active transportation policies at the regional and local level, but they also have the chance to provide technical assistance to local programs. Such has been the case in the Greater Washington, DC region where Christine Green, regional policy manager, has worked with the Prince George’s County Healthcare Action Coalition Pedestrian Safety Workgroup, and as part of that effort, she had the chance to work with the Port Towns Youth Council. These youth ambassadors have taken the pedestrian safety recommendations and created a fun step routine to share with others throughout Prince George’s County.
Back to School in Milwaukie, Oregon, Adds Another E: Excitement (Kari Schlosshauer)
Economic Returns from Active Transportation (Jane Ward)
For more information, contact:
Margaux Mennesson, Communications Manager
Safe Routes Partnership
margaux@saferoutespartnership.org
www.saferoutespartnership.org