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Congratulations to Let's Move Team on One Year Anniversary!
Celebrate by signing up for the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award Challenge
Congratulations to First Lady Michelle Obama and her team for the one-year anniversary of Let's Move! Mrs. Obama gave a speech on February 9 to mark the occasion, sharing the progress made on childhood obesity over the past year. Let's Move has also released new PSAs and promotional materials for stakeholders. In addition, the official press release for the one-year anniversary of Let's Move touted support for Safe Routes to School as one of the national accomplishments related to physical activity.
One way to mark Let's Move's one-year anniversary is to sign up for the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award Challenge. All it takes is a nearly daily commitment to physical activity for six out of eight weeks. You can track your progress with their free personal activity log, which you can access online after you create an individual account, or on a paper log (PDF). Safe Routes to School is a fantastic means for both children and parents to participate in the challenge by logging physical activity minutes as you bicycle or walk to and from school each day.
Alaska Safe Routes to School Getting Creative with Education and Encouragement
Most recent funding cycle likely announcing awards by March 2011
What lives in the Juneau Department of Transportation building, is big, green, reflective and has kids all over Alaska getting excited about bicycling and pedestrian safety? The Alaska Safe Routes to Schools mascot, Reflectosaurus. Created by a former AmeriCorps member, Reflectosaurus has been piloting Safe Routes to School outreach since March 2010. Aiding the education and encouragement campaign through his captivation of young audiences in a presentation about pedestrian, bicycle, reflector and now bear safety, Alaska's Safe Routes to School mascot has been to 18 schools across Alaska, and presented to more than 4,000 kids.
Other outreach-related projects the Alaska Safe Routes to School program is involved with include the following: a reflector fashion act in a wearable art show, the walking school bus campaign, shipping free reflectors to schools all over Alaska, (the program has provided more than 90,000 free reflectors) and a budding Teens go Green Program, where teens are getting involved to coordinate and plan events encouraging elementary-aged students to more safely bicycle and walk to their school, as well as around their neighborhoods.
For more information on Alaska's Safe Routes to School program visit their website, or contact Steve Soenksen at steve.soenksen@alaska.gov.
Other Creative SRTS Efforts Around the Nation
Frequent User Idea: Boulder, Colo., developed and idea known as the Freiker frequent user idea. Someone got the idea of putting a computer chip in the bike helmets of the children who ride to school, and as they pass through the gate into the school yard, the computer chip records the rider, the time of day, and frequency of ridership during the week and month. At the end of [each] week there were awards, and at the end of [each] month there were awards for those with the most points for frequent user.
Door Hangers: Some safe Routes to School programs have used positive reinforcement to encourage shoveling the local sidewalks. I have heard of walking school bus participants hanging one of two doorknob hangers along areas sidewalks that either say:
-THANKS for shoveling - your neighbors appreciate this!
-Please get your sidewalk cleared, this will help everyone to get around safely, and keep you from getting a $ fine. (Contact ______ if you need help with shoveling)
Make Trax: Make Trax, the youth voice of Safe Routes to School, provides a set of 8 lessons and support materials that can be used in the classroom or outside of school. The curriculum engages youth in Safe Routes to School planning to increase the number of students who walk, bicycle, or roll to school when the distance is reasonable and routes are safe.
Many factors influence student travel to and from school. In Make Trax, students undertake a research project to investigate some of these factors. Along the way, they learn problem-solving skills, develop recommendations for change, and present their ideas. Click here to learn more.
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