Building the People Powered Movement
Important New Resources on Safe Routes to SchoolPosted: 06/08/2010
Too often, though, those children also face significant dangers simply traveling to school. Low-income neighborhood are plagued with poor infrastructure, busy thoroughfares and a lack of sidewalks. Because of that treacherous landscape, students in these communities aren’t just at a 20 percent more likely to become overweight; they also face a far higher risk of being injured or killed as pedestrians. Yesterday, the Safe Routes to School National Partnership released a new study exploring this issue and investigating how organizations across the nation are addressing these challenges and coming up with programs that ensure students healthy, active opportunities to walk or bike to school. According to the Partnership: “While there are many resources that document how to implement a Safe Routes to School program, few of them address the challenges and circumstances unique to low-income communities. This resource guide, which focuses on schools and communities where at least half of students or community residents are low-income, is intended to fill that gap.” Implementing Safe Routes to School in Low-Income Schools and Communities: A Resource Guide for Volunteers and Professionals highlights the work of a number of Alliance member organizations, from the Urban Kansas City Community of Cycling in Kansas City, Missouri, to the Cascade Bicycle Club in Seattle. The Partnership also released a second guide — Getting Students Active through Safe Routes to School: Policies and Action Steps for Education Policymakers and Professionals. Read more and download the reports from the Partnership’s website. |
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Advocacy Advance Capacity Building Grants Q&A Call --Call on February 16
Advocacy Advance Capacity Building Grants Q&A Call --Call on February 17
Framing our Message for the Public, Press and Policymakers --Call on February 22
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Nearly 40 percent of American schools are categorized as low-income: more than half of their students come from financially challenged families and qualify for free or reduced lunch programs. 
