The Walk& Roll To School Challenge is a fun incentive program brought to you by Safe Routes to School and implemented by the school leadership class or the SR2S champion. It is an ongoing weekly challenge designed to encourage students to walk, bike, scooter, bus or carpool to school at least one day per week throughout the school year. It can be competition where classes compete with one another to see which class has the highest rate of participation. Hosting a Walk& Roll To School Challenge promotes fun, healthy and earth-friendly ways to get to school.

To download our tip sheet for organizers, please go to our Champions’ Page.

Please visit also www.walk-roll.org.

These schools currently have Walk&Roll programs:

Cold Spring School in Montecito has been hosting a Walk ‘n’ Roll Wednesday for two years now. It is not a competition, parents and students just do it.

The school has had an active Safe Routes to School program for several year, including Walk to School Day, Bike to School Day, safety presentations, and bicycle rodeos. Parents are also creating a beautiful landscaped area in front of the school where children can walk.

 Local artist Ben Ciccati contributed this beautiful poster to publicize the event, and it really took off. The program is led by parent and SR2S champion Tracey Willfong Singh.

Brandon School in Goleta has a very successful BOW WOW (Bike on Wednesday, Walk on Wednesday) program, now in its fourth year. It is led by parent and SR2S champion Ruth McGolpin. Classrooms compete against one another for the largest number of walkers and bikers, scooters and skateboarders, with teachers taking counts every Wednesday. Ruth puts out banners (pictured) in the beginning of the year to remind students and teachers of the program. These remain up all year. She also sends out teacher e-mails and puts articles in  Friday folders and school newsletters to keep the buzz going. Last year, the winning class had an amazing participation rate of 76%. This class was rewarded with a field trip to Zodo’s Bowling Alley, sponsored by the PTA.

La Cumbre Junior High is taking the Walk&Roll Challenge for the first time this fall. The student leadership class will be in charge of creating buzz about the event. Students produced a video interview with SR2S coordinators Angie Dukes and Eva Inbar to highlight the program. The school will put out a press release once the program is underway.

This is how it works for junior high schools:

 Home rooms will be competing against each other, with teachers taking counts once a  week. The winning class will be determined at the end of each semester and rewarded with a cool field trip.  Principal Jo Ann Caines herself, pictured at left with some of her students on Walk to School Day, is in charge of the program.