Integrating movement into everyday life creates a lifelong commitment to physical activity. That's why school-based strategies for increasing physical activity before, during, and after school are crucial to combatting the childhood obesity epidemic. 

STUDIES SHOW THAT KIDS WHO ARE PHYSICALLY ACTIVE DO BETTER:

• Active kids do better in school, are more attentive in class and score higher on tests.
• Physical activity has a positive correlation with school attendance rates.
• Self esteem is higher in kids who are physically active.

Active Schools Partner

The Safe Routes Partnership is proud to partner with Active Schools in the movement to increase physical activity at all of our nation's schools. In alignment with education and health trends – including the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child education movement – Active Schools’ vision is to reimagine school environments that provide opportunities for academic, social, emotional and physical learning so that all children have the ability, confidence and desire to lead active, healthy lives.

Active Schools operates based on the collective impact framework, designed to tackle deeply entrenched and complex social problems, based on the belief that no single program, policy, organization, or government agency can solve them alone. Learn more here.

Active Schools Resources

Step By Step: How to Start a Walking School Bus At Your School
This step-by-step guide outlines how to plan and implement a walking school bus for your school, and includes proven tools, tips and resources for a fast and easy start. 

How to Be A Parent Champion for Safe Routes to School
Learn about how parents and families can get involved in Safe Routes to School, though data collection, school and neighborhood improvements, policy change, and programs to enable and encourage more walking and bicycling.

Making Strides: 2018 State Report Cards on Support for Walking, Biking, and Healthy Kids and Communities
These report cards provide a snapshot of how supportive each state is of walking, bicycling, and physical activity for children and adults as of 2018. The report cards primarily look at state policy, focusing on four key areas: Complete Streets and Active Transportation, Safe Routes to School and Active Transportation Funding, Active Neighborhoods and Schools, and State Physical Activity Planning and Support.

The Wheels On the Bike Go Round and Round: How To Get a Bike Train Rolling at Your School
This guide outlines how to put together and run a bike train program at your school, including initial planning considerations, logistics, promotion, training, and evaluation. The guide has tried-and-true methods, resources, and templates to get you off to a quick start.

Engaging Students with Disabilities in Safe Routes to School
This infobrief provides information for Safe Routes to School staff, volunteers, or program leaders on how to plan and develop a program that considers and meets the needs of students with disabilities.

Keep Calm and Carry On to School: Improving Arrival and Dismissal for Walking and Biking
This infobrief provides information on how schools, districts, cities, counties, and community partners can address arrival and dismissal in school travel plans as well as other planning, policy, and programming efforts.