City Of Fort Worth: Students Take Part In Walk To School Month

Press release from City of Fort Worth:

October 05, 2021

Sidewalks across Fort Worth will be filled with students walking to school throughout October in celebration of International Walk to School Month and Walk to School Day, Oct. 6.

And they won’t go it alone. Parents, faculty and other supporters are leading Walking School Bus efforts across the city to encourage students to move naturally and get their day off to a good start. The effort is supported by Blue Zones Project, a community-led initiative to make healthy choices easier where we live, work, play and go to school.

Of course, walking used to be pretty standard. In 1969, nearly half of young children and teenagers got to school that way. But as traffic and road hazards increased, walking became less common. Blue Zones Project and school leaders are working to change that.

Walking School Bus efforts involve kids meeting at a central location and heading to school, with adults keeping an eye out at the front and back of the group. More students can join the Walking School Bus along the way.

“When kids walk or bike together to campus, they’re not only exercising, they’re also deepening friendships with other students and arriving in class alert and ready to learn,” said Matt Dufrene, vice president of Texas Health Resources, which leads Blue Zones Project efforts in Fort Worth.

Blue Zones Project helped Fort Worth leaders develop the city’s Active Transportation Plan, adopted in 2019, which aims to create a seamless network of bicycle and pedestrian pathways. To help make routes to school safer for kids who walk and ride their bikes, Blue Zones Project also supported the city in a Safe Routes to School project, which identified potential dangers on school routes and secured grants to improve sidewalks, crosswalks, lights and signage near many campuses.

The Walking School Bus initiative took off in 2015, when Blue Zones Project kicked off its efforts to make Fort Worth one of the healthiest cities in the nation.

International Walk to School Day is held annually on the first Wednesday in October and encourages schools to plan walking events throughout the month. It’s also a chance for local students to join their peers in dozens of countries around the world in taking steps for better well-being.

Fort Worth ISD schools participating in this year’s International Walk to School Month events include Bonnie Brae Elementary, Versia Williams Elementary, Sam Rosen Elementary, and C.C. Moss Elementary, along with Daggett Middle School and Stripling Middle School. Keller ISD and Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD campuses are also joining the fun with their own Walking School Buses.

Photo: International Walk to School Day is held annually on the first Wednesday in October.

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This press release was produced by City of Fort Worth. The views expressed here are the author’s own.