For the third year in a row, the “Walk to School” campaign week is taking place. Centered around the international day of action of the same name, the campaign focuses on an important goal: fewer parents driving their children to school, while at the same time encouraging more physical activity and independence on the way to school.
The trip to school doesn’t have to be done entirely on foot. Even walking part of the way counts. For example, parents can drop their children off at a suitable spot a little farther from the school so that the last few meters are covered on foot. Traveling to school by bike or walking the entire way is also taken into account. This way, everyone can contribute to a calmer and safer traffic situation around the school.
To kick off the awareness week, Radio WMW and the police took a closer look at the traffic situation in front of the school as part of the “Kreis Borken Sees Yellow” campaign. Selected fourth-grade students actively participated and assisted Stefan Benölken, the police traffic safety officer. Together with him, they observed traffic flow and provided drivers with direct feedback on their driving behavior.
For the children, this was a special opportunity to draw attention to the traffic situation in front of their own school and to raise awareness among adults about the importance of a safe route to school. After all, a safe route to school is only possible if all road users are attentive and considerate.
During the campaign week from September 14 to 18, parents will be waiting for the children at various stations around the school. Children who actively make their way to school will receive a stamp on their collection card. This makes it easy to see how many children choose to get to school actively each day. The collected stamps benefit the entire class. Successful classes can look forward to special group activities—such as an extra recess in the schoolyard focused on physical activity and having fun together. It’s not just about points and prizes. Fewer cars make for a quieter and safer environment in front of the school grounds. At the same time, the children start their school day with exercise and fresh air.
However, the project at Buterland School does not end with the conclusion of the campaign week. “Walk to School” runs throughout the entire school year. The classes continuously earn points, which allows them to improve their ranking within their respective grade levels. At the end of each week, the most successful classes in each grade level receive special recognition. First place receives a full square on the school’s scorecard, while second place receives half a square. The current standings are displayed in the showcase for everyone to see. This allows the classes to track their progress in the competition at any time and motivate each other to achieve new personal bests.
Things get especially exciting at the midyear mark and at the end of the school year. The most successful classes in each grade compete for the grade-level challenge cup and can also look forward to a special group activity. Whether it’s an active play session on the climbing frame, a reading hour with Luna, the school dog, or another activity agreed upon by the class—the rewards are all about physical activity, community, and shared experiences.
Experience from previous years shows that the initiative is having an impact. Traffic volume directly in front of the school has noticeably decreased. Especially when the weather is nice, it becomes clear just how many children walk or bike to school. When the weather is bad, however, the number of parents driving their children to school rises slightly again.