Dave CowanEngaging local elected officials is not a new component of Safe Routes to School – in fact, it has been an integral part of the process since the inception of Safe Routes to School programs and projects. It is easy, however, to lose track of the value of educating and engaging these key stakeholders when absorbed in making walking and bicycling to school happen on a day to day basis.

We recently addressed working with local elected officials through two action briefs and a webinar. One action brief, intended to educate Safe Routes to School practitioners that includes talking points, explains roles and responsibilities of local elected officials and gives ideas for becoming more involved. The second action brief is designed to be handed to a local elected and/or their staff to quickly educate them on the benefits of Safe Routes to School.

These two action briefs, together with our webinar on the topic, are excellent tools for training up on how to better engage and educate local elected in the Safe Routes to School process – you can easily access them below.

Maximizing the Local Impact of Safe Routes to School: Educating Local Elected Officials 

Local Practice and Policy, a blog written by Dave Cowan, covers many of the multifaceted aspects of his work here at the Safe Routes Partnership. Focusing on best practices, voices from the field and reflections on the Safe Routes to School movement as a whole, this blog attempts to share a sliver of the good vibes, happy stories, and great people Dave has the pleasure of working with to further Safe Routes to School on a daily basis.