Join schools from across the city on International Walk-to-School Day on Wednesday, October 4 and share your experience.
Post your pictures and videos on Facebook and Twitter. Tag us (@ACPSK12) and use the hashtag #ACPSWalks.
In neighborhoods throughout the city, parents, guardians and students will be lacing up their shoes and strapping up their sneakers as they prepare to walk to school.
In Alexandria, Walk-to-School is a community affair with broad participation and support throughout the city. Here is how some of our schools are participating:
- Students not within walking distance at some of our schools will be dropped off at a safe location blocks away from their school so that they can walk the remaining distance.
- Some schools will hand out “I walked to school today” stickers to celebrate walkers.
- At one school, students will be entered into a raffle to win fun prizes. They will also hold Walking Wednesdays throughout the month.
At James K. Polk Elementary School, Walk-to-School day is a pretty big affair, complete with loads of parent and community volunteers, stickers, healthy snacks, sidewalk chalk, and a fun rally with the school’s owl mascot. Take a look at the fun Walk-to-School Day festivities from last year and the year prior.
The goals of Walk-to-School Day are to promote the benefits of walking and biking to school and the development of a walking and biking friendly community by creating safe routes to school. As part of our commitment to health and wellness, ACPS recently hired a part-time Safe Routes to Schools coordinator. Learn more about the Safe Routes to School program in Alexandria and download school walking maps.
International Walk to School Day is a global event that involves communities from more than 40 countries walking and biking to school on the same day. It began in 1997 as a one-day event. Over time, this event has become part of a movement for year-round safe routes to school.