Walking & Wheeling Campaign Resources
Walking Campaigns are used to encourage active transportation to and from school and educate the school community on the benefits of doing so. Having regular walking and wheeling promotional campaigns and events throughout the school year can increase the likelihood of results and success.
International Walk to School Day / Week/ Month in October, also known as iWalk, is a great way to kick off the promotion of active transportation for a school year. Other events throughout the year could include Walk & Wheel Wednesdays , “Winter Walk Day ” (February), Earth Week (April), Spring into Spring, Environment Week (June) and Summer Safety Week to make walking and wheeling events a celebration throughout the year!
ASRTS has prepared several new and revised resources for schools to use for iWalk and throughout the school year. Whether celebrating for one day, one week, or for the entire iWalk month of October, we have enough resources to help you and your school make the most of it.
Walk to School Day 2019 is scheduled for Wednesday October 2nd.
October 2, 2019
October 7, 2020
Resources
Theme for iWalk 2019: Climate Change
We are pleased to continue climate change as the focus for iWalk 2019. For ideas to promote iWalk please check out Climate Change & AST. On this page there are resources such as posters, newsletters, announcements, social media campaigns, and classroom activities.
Announcements
iWalk day or week promotion: 8 days of announcements have been created for the promotion of iWalk day or week.
Announcement PDF, (French)
Benefits of Walking & Wheeling: Several more announcements have been created to encourage walking and wheeling and educate on the 5 benefits of active transportation: health, safety, environmental, learning, and community. Any of these announcements can be used or altered to support further campaigns such as Walk & Wheel Wednesdays or for the entire month of October. Health Benefits, (French) Safety Benefits, (French) Environmental Benefits, (French) Learning Benefits, (French) Community Benefits, (French)
Posters and Stickers
For posters and additional resources please follow this link.
Ready-made tweets have been created and made available for your individual organization and/or school to post as you see fit. The pictures, videos and articles will help increase awareness around the benefits of active transportation for both adults and children.
Please confirm the messages represented within the posts prior to posting any of the tweets align with your own organization’s social media policies and values as they come from a variety of organizations and locations around world.
ASRTS recommends beginning to post tweets in early to mid-September to build the hype for iWalk to School Day.
School communities can use the twitter hashtag... #iwalktoschool ASRTS Tweets for iWalk
Useful Documents
Everything you need to know about iWalk, (French) Instructions for School Travel Plan facilitators and/or school staff, (French)
Activities & Events
Meet the Teacher Night
This is a great time to promote iWalk as well as School Travel Planning. The following are available from the ASRTS committee for use at such events:
- NEW retractable banner (view here)
- ASRTS & School Travel Planning rack card
- Give-aways with our logo (i.e. pencils)
- STP committee recruitment sign-up sheet
To promote iWalk in your schools this year, consider introducing the poster and colouring contest (below) by handing out materials and instructions at Meet the Teacher Night.
Poster & Colouring Contest for Students
Consider passing the posters out to families in a scroll along with the ASRTS rack card at Meet the Teacher Night.
The winning poster can either win a prize (ASRTS committee may have some to contribute) or could be used as the iWalk promotion poster for 2015. Posters could also be rotated throughout the school year as promotion and reminders of Walk & Wheel Wednesdays. Encourage schools to highlight the posters in the school.
Poster contest is available for older students (~Grades 5-8) Colouring contest is available for younger students (~Grades K-4) Judging rubric
Colour or Create a Large Banner
Ask your ASRTS representative about access to a large iWalk banner for your school to colour. This banner can be hung up in the school or used for photo-ops on iWalk day. Download the Banner
iWalk School Assembly
View the following documents for...
- Songs
- Skit Ideas
- Videos
...to use during an iWalk Day assembly! Download the ideas PDF
Student Champions
A great way to change habits is through positive reinforcement and peer to peer encouragement.
Consider suggestion to your school having students greet each other in the morning with a high-five or a small give-away for walking or wheeling to school. This could be done on one day, every Wednesday, for a week, or for the month and beyond! See what works best for your school.
School Challenge
Are there other schools in your neighbourhood or does your school have a sister school? School challenges are a good and friendly way to increase the number of children walking and wheeling to school.
Consider having an award for the winning school such as the infamous “Golden shoe”.
Curriculum Connections
This document highlights areas where the Active & Safe Routes to School Program may be linked to The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1-8, 1998. We have indicated where potential fits exist by grade, curriculum area, strand and associated expectations.