We're very pleased to announce the launch of the Active School Neighborhood Checklist!  The ASNC is an on-line, user-friendly tool for quantifying the walkability, bikeability, safety, and 'physical activity potential' of an existing or proposed school site and its neighborhoods.  Think of it like a "Walkscore for schools and neighborhoods."

 

We invite all of you who are interested in the effects of school siting and neighborhoods on children's health to test out the ASNC. This is still in the development stage for Montana. You can go to the site and beneath the box that asks for log in information you can find a link that says "Print a blank copy of the ASNC (PDF)" If you click on that you can get a better idea of what the tool can do for you and your program. If you want to get this set up for your school and neighborhoods then contact Taylor Lonsdale at taylor.lonsdale@montana.coe.edu  

In 2008, Jane's Walk debuted its first-ever School Edition.  Over a four to five-week period, Jane's Walk animators worked with teachers and students in several Toronto high schools, to create a series of student-led walking tours around the school neighbourhood.  In the classroom and on the street, animators used social mapping exercises and participatory techniques to help kids get engaged in thinking about-and interacting with-their built environment in new and exciting ways.

Now we would like to encourage you to introduce this creative and engaging program in your school! You can learn more about it and access all of the resources here. Let us know if you are going to host a Jane's Walk and how it goes so that we can feature what you and your students are doing.

"In 2011 the International Walk21 Conference is being hosted by Metro Vancouver. The conference's metropolitan focus involves municipalities in the region, health authorities, Translink, the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University, as well as the regional government. Metro Vancouver has teamed together to create an innovative conference focusing on the best practices for urban design, transportation mobility, and health promotion to provide the best places to walk to and through.
"We invite you to join us in Metro Vancouver, Canada for the 2011 Walk21 Conference, Oct 3-5. We are proud to host the 12th conference in an international series encouraging and inspiring the best possible environments where people choose to walk. Come and walk with us!"

This will be a great chance for SRTS advocates in Montana to gather with walking advocates from around the continent and the globe to discuss successes and the future, and it is relatively close to home! Learn more about the conference here.

The key highlights are:

 

· At least 11,371 schools have benefited or will benefit from funds announced by State SRTS Programs.

· States announced $49.1 million in funding for local and/or statewide SRTS programs during the quarter.

· Approximately $663.0 million has been announced for local and statewide SRTS activities since the National Safe Routes to School Program began.