Walk to School Day set in Pennsylvania
Students across Pennsylvania will be joining with parents, teachers and classmates on Wednesday for the second annual statewide Walk to (or at) School Day, a program designed to encourage physical activity and bring awareness to walk to school initiatives. The event is being led by Pennsylvania Advocates for Nutrition and Activity (PANA), a statewide coalition established by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and funded in part by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The event coincides with International Walk to School Day, celebrated in 36 countries. The idea is for children and adults to walk to school together – to promote physical activity, health, safety, community cohesion, and even concern for the environment.
PANA has been working with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) to promote and support state and federal “Safe Routes to School” initiatives designed to improve the safety and walkability of communities within a mile of schools.
Pennsylvania’s Walk to (or at) School Day is part of PANA’s Keystone Healthy Zone Schools program.
This year, 1,677 schools enrolled in the free program, which provides schools with resources, materials, support, training, and even funding, as they work to create healthier environments and address childhood obesity.
“Walk to School Day is a great opportunity to bring parents, the communities and schools together to bring attention to the health and safety of our kids,” said Allison Topper, PANA’s executive director.
Last year, 153 Keystone Healthy Zone schools participated in Walk to (or at) School Day with many using the PANA Web tools to learn more about safety improvements such as raised crosswalks, and develop supervised walking programs like the Walking School Bus program. As a result, 33 percent of Keystone Healthy Zone Schools reported plans to improve hazardous walking routes within one mile of the school.
One-hundred Keystone Healthy Zone Schools received a free Walking School Bus Toolbox, filled with posters, T-shirts and reflective zipper-pulls for kids, sponsored by PennDOT, Kellogg’s Food Away from Home and the Nutrition Group to help schools celebrate. To find out more about the Walk to (or at) School Day event, visit wwwpanaonline.org and click on the Enter the Zone Events button.