Resources
International Walk To School Day/Month
International Walk to School Day is Wednesday, October 9, 2013
International Walk to School Week is October 7-11, 2013
October is International Walk to School Month
International Walk to School Month (IWALK) is a global annual, premier event of the Active & Safe Routes to School program, taking place each October. It is a mass celebration of active transportation and its related issues are used to introduce communities to the Active & Safe Routes to School (ASRTS) program.
“Everyone in our school tries to walk for a healthy body and safer streets. I like walking to school with my friends because we could talk. Walking is way better than riding in a car because walking is more fun than getting a ride.” - Student at Morton Way Public School , Brampton , Ontario
An international event creates a higher level of awareness of the issues surrounding the journey to and from school, and at the same time provides an opportunity to share expertise and promote best practice. For many parents around the world, the car has become the main means of transporting children to and from school. The proportion of journeys to school made by car has increased considerably in the last several years, with the knock-off effect being a gradual decline in the numbers of children walking to and from school on a regular basis. The general themes that are promoted during IWALK include: increasing daily physical activity, improving safety, enhancing the environment, reducing levels of crime, developing community cohesion, promoting social interaction and reducing traffic congestion, pollution and speed near schools.
