According to a recent CRD-led school transportation study, almost half of all students in the capital region are currently driven to school—and with the majority of those trips under three kilometers—there is significant opportunity for more of our region’s youngest residents to enjoy the benefits of active travel.

In our region, on-road transportation is our community’s greatest source of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe). Active travel can help reduce these emissions, improving air quality and reducing future climate change impacts.

The campaign is an easy way for the region’s schools to encourage their students to build physical activity into their daily routine, increase their sense of community belonging, model safe travel habits, encourage environmental stewardship and reduce their family’s carbon footprint.

Register Your School

Schools registered for Walk and Wheel to School Week receive a campaign package filled with giveaways, trip tracking materials and resources.

• Pre-register for 2019 (October)

Tracking Participation

For active travel trip tracking, each school receives a large poster and stickers to tally the number of walking and wheeling trips made each day. Posters are hung in a visible place so that all staff and students can see them.

There are two types of stickers: shoes for walkers and wheels for wheelers. Each student who walks or wheels (all or part way) to school receives a sticker to put on the poster each day of the week.

Reporting Participation

At the end of Walk and Wheel to School Week, schools send in a picture of their poster and tally of walking and wheeling trips, and have a chance to win some amazing prizes!

Eligibility

Walk and Wheel To School is open to K-12 schools (public and independent) in the capital region.

Registration

Register by June 16 to be entered into the early bird draw. Registration closes September 15, 2019.

• Register now

Package Delivery

Registered schools receive a free school package (trip tracker poster, stickers and more) in September.

Reporting Back

Schools will submit a picture and tally of their trip-tracking results by October 19, 2019.

Education and Encouragement Funding

This year schools and PACs can apply for up to $500 to fund their active transportation education and encouragement activities as part of Walk and Wheel to School Week. Deadline to apply is September 15, 2019.

• 2019 Funding Guidelines
• 2019 Funding Application

All students will win a prize for participation.

Healthy Snack Pack

Awarded to the school with the most walking trips (per school capita) later in the year, the whole school will receive a healthy breakfast (before school) or afternoon snack (after school) to keep up the active travel momentum.

Rack'em Up Prize Pack

Awarded to the school with the most wheeling trips (per school capita), make space for all those bikes with this prize pack that includes a bike rack and installation.

There are many ways to celebrate walking and wheeling to school.

Check out the 2019 guidebook (PDF) and below for a few ideas and consider applying for Education and Encouragement Funding (2019 Funding Guidelines and 2019 Funding Application).

• School announcements—promote walking and wheeling during the morning announcements using some of the fun facts provided in the 2019 guidebook.
• Walking & Wheeling Display—set-up a display at the front of the school with the trip-tracking poster, swag items and information on the health benefits of walking and wheeling
• Celebration Station—set-up a 'Celebration Station' at the front of the school with music, food, games and giveaways for students who walked or wheeled to school
• Principal's Walk—invite all divisions to participate in a neighbourhood walk
• Bike Rodeo—host a bike rodeo or a bike parade where students can decorate their bikes and ride together through an on-site obstacle course or through the neighbourhood
• Drive to Five—encourages parents to drop-off their children at designated locations within a 5-minute safe and comfortable walk to school. Parents can either park and walk with their children or drop them off to walk with others. Download the Drive to Five toolkit to learn more.
• Walk & Wheel lesson plans—ICBC has some great materials and lesson plans for students to learn about walking and wheeling safety in class; check them out!
• Climate Action To-Go Kits - include tools and activities to tune up a bike or track steps while learning about local active transportation routes. Learn more

Other Resources and Connections

Watershed Protection and Climate Adaptation

• Rainwater and Watershed Education (K-7) - Active travel helps protect our local waterways. Download lesson plans and activities, and watch videos designed for grades 4-5, with links and adaptations for lower and upper elementary classes here.
• CRD Watershed Warden Badge Program (K-7) - Celebrate and reward students helping to protect and prepare our local watersheds for future climate impacts with CRD Watershed Warden Badges. Learn how.
• Climate Projections - The capital region can expect noticeable changes to our climate in the coming decades. At a high level, the region can expect warmer winter temperatures, fewer days below freezing, more extreme hot days in summers, longer dry spells in summer months and more precipitation in fall, winter and spring. Learn more.

Cycling, walking and rolling to school :

• is fun and good for your health and the environment
• builds physical activity into kids' daily routine
• supports in-class concentration
• reduces traffic volumes and congestion
• reduces greenhouse gas emissions
• reduces personal transportation costs
• reduces or delays infrastructure costs
• enhances community connectedness

The following schools have registered to participate in October 2019.

• Braefoot Elementary (since 2018)
• Brentwood Elementary
• Campus View Elementary (since 2018)
• Cedar Hill Middle (since 2018)
• Christ Church Cathedral School (since 2017)
• Cloverdale Traditional Elementary (since 2017)
• Colwood Elementary (since 2017)
• Craigflower Elementary
• Eagle View Elementary
• École Macaulay Elementary (since 2017)
• Fernwood Elementary (since 2018)
• George Jay Elementary
• Journey Middle School (since 2017)
• Kelset Elementary (since 2017)
• Lochside Elementary (since 2018)
• Margaret Jenkins Elementary (since 2017)
• Northridge Elementary (since 2018)
• Rogers Elementary (since 2018)
• Salt Spring Centre School (since 2018)
• Salt Spring Elementary (since 2018)
• Sangster Elementary (since 2017)
• Savory Elementary
• Selkirk Montessori School
• Sidney Elementary (since 2017)
• Sir James Douglas Elementary (since 2017)
• South Park Family School (since 2018)
• Strawberry Vale Elementary (since 2018)
• Victoria West Elementary
• View Royal Elementary (since 2018)