What's Happening: Press Releases
February 2012Area Schools Plan First Annual South Carolina Walk to School Day on March 7, 2012
Students from schools across South Carolina will be walking and biking to school along with parents, teachers, and community leaders on March 7, 2012, as part of the first annual South Carolina Walk to School Day.
The statewide events are a spring version of the widely popular International Walk to School Day held each October.
More than 130 schools across South Carolina participated in International Walk to School Day in 2011. Event organizers from the South Carolina Safe Routes to School Resource Center are anticipating the momentum to carry over to the new spring event. Incentives and planning support are provided to events registered for South Carolina Walk to School Day. Registered schools should be officially partnered with the Resource Center.
Walk to School events help to promote safer routes for walking and biking, and emphasize the importance of increasing physical activity for children. In areas where children may live too far from school to walk or bike safely, school leaders can offer a “Walk at School” event, or designate a “Park and Walk” site, where parents can park nearby and walk the remaining distance to school with their children. However the events may be structured, they can emphasize pedestrian safety, reducing traffic congestion, and building better connections between families, schools and the broader community.
SC Walk to School Day helps schools initiate conversations about how walking and biking can:
- Enhance health by increasing the amount of physical activity
- Improve air quality by reducing automobile emissions in the school zone
- Make the streets safer by relieving traffic congestion
The Safe Routes to School Resource Center is a federally-funded project of the South Carolina Department of Transportation that provides education, encouragement, and planning support to K-8 schools throughout South Carolina that wish to partner with the Resource Center. Services and materials are provided at no cost to the schools and their communities.
To register a school event, please visit http://scwalktoschool.eventbrite.com. For more information, please go to www.SCSafeRoutes.org or call the Resource Center hotline at 1.855.4SC.SRTS.
October 2011
International Walk to School Day 2011
The South Carolina SRTS Resource Center reports that South Carolina has another record breaking International Walk to School Day. This year there were more than 130 schools registered to participated in iWalk. No matter how simple or elaborate the event, the Resource Center congratulates each and every school in participating in iWalk.
Many communities engaged elected officials, law enforcement, health and safety professionals and families to participate. Many schools hosted walking school buses and bicycle trains from near and far. We also heard from schools who encouraged their entire student population in Walk at School events. Here are some highlights from across South Carolina:
- More than 130 South Carolina Schools registered and held Walk to School Day events.
- More than 50,000 students, parents, educators, and neighbors in SC participated in International Walk to School Day events on October 5, 2011.
- South Carolina ranked 6th in the US in participation in International Walk to School Day (#2 in the Southeast region behind Florida).
- The Mayor of Fountain Inn issued a proclamation for Walk to School Day.
- The Mayor of North Charleston participated in Walk to School Day at Chicora School of Communications.
- Mellichamp Elementary School held a Walk to School Assembly that featured a WTSD song, WTSD rap, steppers, dancers and a WTSD poster and essay contest for each grade. They then topped it off by having Orangeburg-Wilkerson High School marching band drum line play for them throughout the entire school walk.
May 2011
Safe Routes to School Resource Center Held Statewide Kick-Off Meetings
South Carolina's Safe Routes to School program announced the opening of its new Resource Center -- a program of the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) at kick off meetings held across the state on May 16 and 17. The meetings provided information about the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program to community stakeholders, schools, school districts, and advocacy groups. Twenty-five schools in SC were also recognized at the meetings for having been awarded grants for SRTS projects.
SCDOT has adopted the Resource Center model for the program to reach K-8 Schools throughout the state. The greatest benefit of the Resource Center is the staff. Local School Outreach Coordinators have been hired for the Lowcountry, Midlands, and the Upstate of SC. These individuals will work directly with schools to build unique SRTS programs and provide additional support to existing efforts. The Resource Center will equip schools wishing to participate with SRTS with free educational and training resources, evaluation tools, and promotional materials and incentives.
For non-school community organizations, the Resource Center has opportunities for them to work with the School Outreach Coordinators to help with school events, develop programs, and teach health and safety fundamentals. The bottom line of the SC SRTS Resource Center is to offer free resources, provide individualized assistance, foster community-wide support, and to create sustainable SRTS programs.
October 2010
International Walk to School Day 2010
More than 125 South Carolina Schools registered and held Walk to School Day events.
More than 52,000 students, parents, educators, and neighbors in SC participated in International Walk to School Day events on October 6, 2010.
South Carolina ranked 6th in the US in participation in International Walk to School Day (#2 in the Southeast region behind Florida).
The Mayor of North Charleston issued a proclamation for Walk to School Day.
The Mayor of Fountain Inn actively participated in Walk to School Day at Fountain Inn Elementary School.
Rodney Oldham, SC Safe Routes to School Coordinator, was interviewed by Andrew Harmon, Host of CSRA Today of Clear Channel Communications (a Public Affairs Show) to promote and celebrate International Walk to School Day.