Kids Walk-to-School Day

To increase opportunities for children to engage in physical activity, Washington State has promoted KidsWalk-to-School Day and the creation of safe walking routes for children to raise awareness about the importance of walking to school. The Washington Coalition for the Promotion of Physical Activity (WCPPA) and the Oregon Coalition for the Promotion of Physical Activity (OCPPA) collaborated to develop a KidsWalk-to-School Day packet of materials that included the Walkability Checklist, the Neighborhood Walking Safety Guide, CDC’s KidsWalk-to-School Guide, a list of related educational Web sites, and a Safe and Active Routes to School presentation on CD-ROM. This packet was distributed to community leaders who are interested in promoting walk-to-school efforts.

The goal of the KidsWalk-to-School program is to encourage physical activity as an integral part of a child’s daily routine, promote the development of safe walking and bicycling routes, and teach safe pedestrian practices to potentially reduce injury among children.

One of the best examples of community involvement in KidsWalk-to-School Day in Washington is in Kitsap County. The Kitsap County Health District solicited help from a broad array of partners including the American Red Cross, Washington State Traffic Safety Commission, Kitsap County Commission for Children and Youth, Parent Teacher Association (PTA), Kitsap Safe Kids Coalition, Kitsap Community Federal Credit Union, Naval Hospital Bremerton, and representatives from local school districts. About 3,500 children at seven schools and many parents participated in KidsWalk-to-School Day.