Pima County Department of Environmental Quality (PDEQ) and the Pima County Health Department are once again teaming up for the eco-friendly event of the academic calendar: Walk ‘N’ Roll to School Week. Calling on students to ditch the car ride for more traditional conveyances of the sneaker and wheel variety, the initiative is set for September 30 through October 4. Starting the pedal-powered momentum, registration for schools opens on August 26.
This isn't simply about changing the morning commute; it's sowing the seeds of health and environmental consciousness among the young. Schools signing up for their participation will have the chance to shower their students with prizes—a new scooter, dangling like a carrot on a stick, for skaters and cyclists making their way to class. The goal isn't just participation, but to echo these active habits throughout the year, with an emphasis on the physical fitness and sense of community that can be forged in the simple act of traveling together to the day's learning.
"We encourage parents to make sure their school signs up and to talk to their children about being active,” said PDEQ Climate & Community Engagement Manager Natalie Shepp. The hopeful undertone being that the ripple effects of this initiative – beyond trimming waistlines and buffing up calf muscles – is a larger conversation on mobility and the shared spaces in our lives.
Last year saw 46 schools join the fray, but this initiative is part of a larger, yearly push toward fostering a healthy and sustainable environment in school districts. While waiting to pick up their kids, parents can cut the engine and sign onto the Idle-Free Schools Program, aiming to slash the toxic cocktail of vehicle exhaust from idling cars.
