Join us for a celebration of walking – Oct. 12

Let’s go big this year and celebrate international Walk to School Day event! Register your participation as an entire school, a neighborhood or a family. We know that these events are important opportunities to encourage physical activity and promote safety in your neighborhoods and near schools. We encourage you to participate in a way that is best for you and fits local public health guidance.

We’ll send you posters to advertise your event, stickers and zipper pulls for the kids, and educational spoke cards and bookmarks to share with students to schools that register to share on your event day. Please register by Wednesday, Sept. 28

Join our MnSRTS Photo Contest and share where you love to walk. We will highlight winning photos all month long. Help us encourage more walking in Minnesota.

More than ever, students will benefit from physical activity, fresh air and increased focus.

Plan and market your event:

• Check out these ideas for Walk to School Day 2022 from the National Walk and Bike to School Day website for inspiration at the family, neighborhood, or school level.
• Here are some resources to help you plan. These can be used in-school, by classroom or physical education teachers in a distance-learning context, or by families at home. Download our Walk to School Day Marketing Materials, premade posters, social media ads, flyers and post card mailers in English, Spanish, Somali and Hmong!

Fun and educational activities to promote walking and biking:

• Walk! Bike! Fun! Curriculum and Distance Learning Curriculum
• Walking Word Search: Easy and Hard
• Walking Bingo: Places to Go
• Walking Bingo: Things to Do
• Walking Bingo: Things to Find
• Walking Safety Crossword
• Mileage Tracker

Reflect on why you and your community care about walking to school. You can use Walk to School Day to solidify commitments and work towards needed changes to make it safer, easier and more convenient for children to get around by walking, rolling or biking.

SRTS Boost Implementation and Planning grants application window now open

MnDOT recently opened several grant solicitations to meet Safe Routes to School needs. Find out more about applications, guidance and upcoming webinars at the links below.

SRTS funding opportunities:

• Planning assistance solicitation to help develop a SRTS Plans.
• Boost non-Infrastructure solicitation helps with any plan implementation needs from walking school buses, bike fleets to bike racks or crossing guard supplies.
• Infrastructure solicitations:
  • Greater Minnesota Transportation Alternatives Solicitation  solicitation for federal infrastructure funding. (requires 20 percent match)
  • Active Transportation Program Solicitations are for state-funded infrastructure projects to improve walking and bicycling options. While SRTS projects aren’t prioritized here, it is a good opportunity for other walking and bicycling related projects in your communities.

In the news:

• Walk, Bike, & Roll to School Day is Oct. 12, 2022
• Register today for Walk & Roll to School Day
• Engaging communities for Safe Routes to School – and beyond
• Epic 150-Kid ‘Bike Bus’ Shows America a Better Way to Get to School (Portland, Oregon)

Upcoming events:

Oct. 6, 10-11 a.m. – MN SRTS Network Call

• Share and learn with those working on SRTS from across Minnesota.
• To join the Minnesota Safe Routes to School Network and receive log in information please email juliej@movemn.org.
• View past recordings and slides

Oct. 12, 2022 – Walk to School Day

Feb. 1, 2023 – Winter Walk to School Day

May 3, 2023 - Bike to School Day  

Have you registered for Walk to School Day Oct. 12th? Sign up at your school and we will send you promotional materials to help you pull off your event. Also, join the fun and submit your WTSD photos to our photo contest!

Resources

Order free MN Bike Maps and MN Bicycle Handbooks for your organization’s events!

Walk! Bike! Fun! curriculum, bike fleet trailer request, and future training opportunities.

More about MnSRTS

Visit: mnsaferoutestoschool.org

Follow us on Facebook! facebook.com/MinnesotaSafeRoutestoSchool/

_{MnDOT invites and encourages participation by all people in their programs, services and activities.}  

• _{If you need an ASL, a foreign language interpreter, or documents in an alternative format (such as braille, large print or in a different language) at no cost, please email your request to Janet Miller at ADArequest.dot@state.mn.us or call 651-366-4720. Relay service: 711.}
• _{If you need any another reasonable accommodation to participate (such as seating modification or auxiliary aids), please email your request to Accessibility.DOT@state.mn.us or call 1-833-400-8432. Relay service: 711.}