Children who walk to school are more alert and ready to learn, strengthen their social networks and develop lifetime fitness habits. A Walking School Bus allows a group of children to walk to school under the supervision of two or more adults.
Help Kids Walk MoreThirty years ago, 60% of children living within a 2-mile radius of a school walked or bicycled "both ways" to school. Today, that number has dropped to less than 15%.
Our kids are struggling with obesity before they hit middle school, and while energy-dense foods and large portion sizes have certainly played a role in this growing epidemic, including the simple and effective exercise of walking to school could help keep it at bay.
Thankfully, there's a simple solution: we need to help our kids get more exercise. Research and experience have proven that children who walk to school are more alert and ready to engage in classroom learning. Children who exercise with their friends are more likely to have a better level of overall fitness. This program will strengthen friendships while teaching kids to be responsible pedestrians and develop lifelong fitness habits. So how do we make this happen for kids today? By creating a Walking School Bus.
A Walking School Bus is a group of children walking to school with two or more adults.
Along with Healthways, the Blue Zones Project™ has exclusive agreements with the world's leading experts-people like Dan Burden—and applies their expertise to transforming communities.
In 2001 Time Magazine selected Burden as one of the six most important Civic Innovators in the World. He is a visionary community-planning expert that has created methods to improve traffic flow, commuter safety and road design. For the past 38 years, Dan Burden has worked with cities and towns all over the United States to improve the well-being of citizens by making their communities more accessible to pedestrians and cyclists.
Read Dan's full bio here.
Walking School Bus is a group of children walking to school with two or more adults.
To make walking to school safer, more fun, and more convenient, communities are using Walking School Buses. These communities have experienced a real difference in child and community well-being and continue to have growing success.
Children who walk to school:
Volunteers will be responsible for walking a designated route at a scheduled time, picking up pre-determined children along this route and delivering them to their destination safely. It’s a great opportunity to support a more livable/walkable community and encourage kids to stay or get fit.
Benefits for volunteers include increasing your daily exercise, encouraging and inspiring kids to stay or get fit, promoting a more livable communities, reducing traffic and having fun!
The Walking School Bus program supports two of the Power 9® Principles: Move Naturally and Right Tribe.
We can get more physical activity naturally if we live in walkable communities, de-convenience our homes and grow gardens.
Your friends have a long-term impact on your well-being. Expanding your social circle to include healthy-minded, supportive people might be the most powerful thing you can do to add years to your life.
Explore Additional Activities
More Ways to Improve Your Health & Well-Being
Extra ToolsConsider creating a Walking School Bus committee with parents, teachers and police officers to plan routes and support safety.
Volunteer with the Blue Zones Project to help bring the movement to life—and complete two Actions in one night!
Become a volunteer
