Across the state today, students and their parents took to the streets – not to protest but to demonstrate there’s a way to combine exercise with getting to school.
The N.C. Department of Transportation, as part of its Safe Routes to School Program, encouraged elementary and middle schools across the state to participate in the 13th annual International Walk to School Day. This initiative is aimed at building awareness of the benefits of walking to school.
More than 2,500 schools from across the nation, including 51 from North Carolina, participated in Walk to School events. They were joined by students from at least 40 countries.
Events ranged from one-day celebrations to monthly activities that include pedestrian and bicycle education, walking and school bus programs, safety awareness campaigns, and health and wellness promotions.
NCDOT’s Safe Routes to School Program and Walk to School events are designed to encourage communities to create safer routes for walking and bicycling and emphasize the importance of issues such as increasing physical activity among children, pedestrian safety, traffic congestion, environmental concerns and building connections between families, schools and the community.