This project will establish a Walking School Bus program in collaboration with the City of Penticton and School District 67. It will offer safety education training for students, involve recruitment of volunteer route leaders, and development of a volunteer network to ensure program continuity. The program will incorporate regular assessments and feedback to maintain effectiveness and explore scalability for long-term sustainability across other schools and communities.
The project need for the Walking School Bus program in Penticton is based on the following:
Safety Concerns:
- School Changes: The school district underwent Long Range Facility Planning and will be closing 3 elementary schools and removing the middle school grades in our district. This will result in more elementary school children crossing main roads and navigating a different and most of the time longer walk than their old school.
- Increasing Traffic Congestion: As the city and school district goes through the changes in school catchments, there is a rising concern over traffic congestion around schools, particularly during drop-off and pick-up times.
- Pedestrian Safety: Many students may not have experience or awareness to navigate busy roads safely.
- Lack of Knowing Safe Routes: The city and school district are creating safe routes to schools, but these routes are still in development, and many students may not know how to safely navigate the routes as they are not the current way to their school.
Educational Gaps in Safety Training:
- Lack of Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Education: Many students may not know how to safely walk or bike to school, especially if their school is new to them next school year. Educational programs are necessary to teach children about road safety, awareness of their surroundings, and how to respond in case of an emergency.
Community Engagement and Support:
- Creating a Volunteer Network: With the planned school closures and catchment changes, there is a gap in leadership and volunteers. Volunteers (both adults and student leaders) will be needed to ensuring the program’s success. There will also need to be a volunteer network that can step in during times of absence to ensure consistent support for the Walking School Bus program.
Photo source: AdobeStock. Photo is shown for illustration purposes only and may not be an accurate representation of the project.
