Walking, biking, or taking the bus to school are great ways students, teachers, and members of school communities can be active, get more fresh air, improve mental health, and reduce the number of cars on the road that produce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. St. John XXIII Catholic Elementary School in Mississauga, Ontario, took action this past November and December as part of the EcoSchools program by inviting everyone at their school to participate in a Walk to School campaign.
To build excitement for the initiative, students and teachers organized virtual announcements and created campaign slogans to post around their school. Participants were also given a “walker card” where they could record how many times during the week they walked to school; at the end of the campaign, all cards were entered into a raffle where three lucky winners received reusable water bottle prizes.
This Walk to School initiative was integrated into classroom time as students from kindergarten through grade eight discussed ways to achieve a healthy lifestyle, like eating nutritious food, being active, spending time outside, proper hygiene, and being social with friends and family.
By the end of the Walk to School initiative, over 196 students had participated, and 133 pledges were collected from families who will continue to stay active by walking with their peers. Congratulations to St. John XXIII Catholic Elementary School for getting their whole school community engaged and committing to reduce GHGs by choosing sustainable ways of getting to and from school!
Project 2050 is a collaboration between EcoSchools Canada and Earth Rangers, a multi-year project that supports students and their communities to accomplish environmental actions that contribute to Canada’s 2050 climate targets.