Boost Grant Funding Available

As the name implies, Safe Routes to School Boost grants are intended to help boost Safe Routes to School efforts! These grants allow MnDOT to support communities with existing Safe Routes to School (SRTS) plans, or other comprehensive SRTS approaches, in advancing non-infrastructure strategies for schools. The strategies should support making it safe, easy and fun for students to walk, bike or roll to school. More detailed information on eligibility, funding restrictions/requirements, and the grant application materials are available on the MnDOT SRTS Boost webpage. View past Boost awards to get project ideas and cost.

Two informational webinars are available on:

• Tuesday March 28 at 1 p.m.
• Wednesday April 12 at 11 a.m.

Grant application requests may range between $5,000-$50,000 and do not require a match.

Applications are due by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 17, and must be submitted online.

Awardees will be announced in June with funding beginning in September 2023 and ending in June 2025.

2023 Golden Snow Boot Award Winner

Smiles and laughter warmed the sunny, 10-degree morning for Rochester students celebrating Winter Walk Day! To the students’ delight, the entire local Grizzlies Hockey Team and the Rochester Police Department Community Action Team escorted students to school. The morning began at the Walking School Bus stop, heading down the street for high-fives from the Firefighters at Station 4, and then joining another group of walkers to finish their route to school.

At school, walkers got the royal treatment as they passed through a ”tunnel of love” and were treated with granola bars, reflective zipper pulls, stickers and other fun prizes. The local news was there to capture the fun and share the message to get out for a winter walk!

In anticipation of the event, the students prepared cards and gifts for the crossing guards and delivered door hangers to houses along the way to thank them for clearing their sidewalks of snow this winter to make their walk to school easier. Social media messages from the school district were posted inviting all families to walk.

Local partners included: Gage Community School, Rochester Police Department Community Action Team, Rochester Firefighters, Rochester Grizzlies Hockey Team, Rochester Public Schools Communications Department, KTTC News and HyVee.

The event was coordinated by RPS Safe Routes to School Coordinator, Olmsted County Statewide Health Improvement Partnership and Gage Community School in conjunction with a statewide effort led by MNDOT Safe Routes to School.

View past winners and their stories.

SRTS in the news:

• Highland Elementary School and Safe Kids Grand Forks awarded SRTS Grant - Crookston
• Local students embrace the cold on ‘Minnesota Winter Walk Day’ - Rochester

Upcoming events:

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

• Share and learn with whose working on SRTS from across Minnesota.
• To join the Minnesota Safe Routes to School Network and received log in information please email dot@state.mn.us
• View past recordings and slides

April 27 – Walk! Bike! Fun! Teacher Training - Laporte

May 3- Bike to School Day  

May 5, noon – Walk! Bike! Fun! Ambassador Training – Grand Marais

May 6, 9 a.m. – Walk! Bike! Fun! Maintenance Training– Grand Marais

May 11 – Walk! Bike! Fun! Teacher Training – Dakota County

May 16 – Walk! Bike! Fun! Teacher Training – St. Paul

Resources

Order free MN Bike Maps and MN Bicycle Handbooks (English, Spanish, Somali) 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!: https://facebook.com/MinnesotaSafeRoutestoSchool/

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