Green-Schools’ National Walk to School Week begins today (October 7th) for five days. Walk to School Week is a celebration of walking, active transport, and sustainable solutions to congestion outside schools around Ireland.
The Green-Schools Travel Programme works in partnership with schools to promote active, sustainable travel on the journey to school. Green-Schools Travel Officers will be busy working directly with schools next week promoting active travel, carrying out walkability audits, and delivering climate workshops in schools. These are focused on giving students and the school’s wider community the tools to change habits, build better ones and create a school environment that is accessible and enjoyable for all.
The programme offers a range of resources to support schools at primary and secondary level, and takes into account the reality that walking the full distance to school is not always possible, with Park & Stride an alternative that is also encouraged. The highlight of the week is Walk on Wednesday (WOW), when schools are encouraged to record the number of students and staff walking or park & striding to school, and be in with a chance to win some prizes for their school. It is also an opportunity to put Clare on the county leaderboard for the week.
Green-Schools are eager to remind everyone of the positive changes everyone in a community can make to allow children and young people enjoy active journey to school. Speeding, idling engines, poor driving behaviour and footpath parking all impact the journey to school. A recent report by the EPA* has highlighted the impact of poor air quality on urban communities and the Green-Schools Speedweek report in 2021* made clear how few people adhere to speed limits outside schools in Ireland.
Allison Phillips, Manager of the Green-Schools Travel Programme: “Walk to School Week is about celebrating what’s great about walking, wheeling, or parking & striding to school: more time for families together in the morning; social time and independence for young people before school; and students arriving to school happier and more alert. But we do need everyone’s help in these initiatives: Drivers, please slow down outside schools, and park responsibly, being mindful of young people and those with accessibility requirements. Finally, turn off your engine when parked to protect young lungs and the air we all breathe. This helps to create a happy, healthier, front of school environment.”
Walk to School Week is the first of four annual week-long call to action events run by the Green-Schools Travel Programme in the school year. Clean Air Week follows in November, followed Bike Week in May, and Scoot to School Week in June. Walk to School Week is facilitated in nearly 500 schools, 15 of which are in County Clare, directly by Green-Schools Travel Officers and in almost 2,000 more schools awarded previously for their sustainable and active travel efforts.
Green-Schools is Ireland’s leading environmental management and education programme for schools. Promoting long-term, whole-school action for the environment Green-Schools is a student-led programme with involvement from the wider community. The programme is operated and co-ordinated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce (FEE member for Ireland). The Green-Schools Travel theme is funded by the Department of Transport and supported by the National Transport Authority. www.greenschoolsireland.org.