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Schools

Drew Charter School International Walk to School Day 2012

Charles R. Drew Charter School in Atlanta will join schools from around the world to celebrate International Walk to School Day on October 3, 2012.   

Students from Charles R. Drew Charter School will be walking and rolling to school Wednesday, October 3 along with parents, teachers and community leaders including Atlanta City Councilmember Natalyn Archibong and representatives of the office of Atlanta Public Works.

The event will begin at 7:20 a.m. with kids, parents and community leaders walking in groups from both East Lake Terrace in Kirkwood and the Villages of East Lake.  Walkers will arrive at the school by 7:45 a.m.. Other special activities associated with the walk include a walking school bus route to and from school that day and completing a walkability checklist during the walk to help identify areas on the route to school that need improvements to increase student safety.  

In 2011, International Walk to School Day was celebrated at more than 4,000 events at schools across the United States, along with children and adults in 40 countries around the world.

Walk to School Day events raise awareness of the need to create safer routes for walking and bicycling and emphasize the importance of issues such as increasing physical activity among children, pedestrian safety, traffic congestion and concern for the environment. The events build connections between families, schools and the broader community.

The event is being organized by the Charles R. Drew Charter School Safety and Transportation Committee.  The Committee strives to implement the best safety and transportation practices for the children attending Drew Charter School.  Drew Charter School is a part of a Safe Routes to School program.

For additional information, please visit these websites:

Walk to School Day in the USA                www.walkbiketoschool.org        
National Center for Safe Routes to School        www.saferoutesinfo.org
International Walk to School Day            www.iwalktoschool.org
          

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About International Walk to School Day

·    Walk to School Day was established in the United States in 1997 by the Partnership for a Walkable America. Canada and Great Britain already had walk to school programs in place.  In 2000, these three countries joined together to create International Walk to School Day.

·    In May 2006, the National Center for Safe Routes to School was established to assist communities in enabling and encouraging children to safely walk and bike to school.

·    The National Center for Safe Routes to School serves as the national coordinating agency for Walk to School activities in the United States.

·    Walk to School Day began as a simple idea – children and parents, school and local officials walking to school together on a designated day. It is an energizing event, reminding everyone of the simple joy of walking to school, the health benefits of regular daily activity, and the need for safe places to walk and bike. Schools focus on health, safety, physical activity and concern for the environment.

·    Organizations supporting International Walk to School Day in the United States include America Walks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Highway Administration, the Institute of Transportation Engineers, the National Center for Bicycling and Walking, the National Center for Safe Routes to School, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Safe Kids Worldwide, and the Safe Routes to School National Partnership.





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