The Walking School Bus

Twenty-five years ago, 80% of Canadian children from Grade 3 and up walked or rode their bikes to school, unaccompanied by adults. Today, research suggests that while 68% of Canadian children live within a 30 minute walk to school, only 36% walk on a regular basis. If current trends continue, we may soon have a generation of children who have never experienced walking to school.

The Walking School Bus is an initiative of Active and Safe Routes to School (ASRTS) established through Green Communities Canada. Over 1000 schools in Ontario have implemented ASRTS, which encourages the safe and active transportation of children to and from school. In Greater Kingston, there are at least two elementary schools that have implemented the Walking School Bus in their school communities – Sir Winston Churchill and Lancaster Public Schools. Student leaders in junior and intermediate grades have been trained by KFL&A Public Health staff to lead their peers and younger children along designated and mapped out walking routes. The program has been quite successful and will be expanded to include other elementary schools in KFL&A. Choosing active transportation, such as walking or cycling, is a great way to increase daily physical activity in children and youth where physical inactivity is a public health concern.

For further information on the Walking School Bus, contact KFL&A Public Health at 613-549-1232.