Amanda Vail's blog

The results are in! 5th grader Christina Kassapakis' submission titled "Bike, Scoot and a Whole Lot More" for the Walk + Bike Day poster contest has been chosen as this year's winner. Congratulations, Christina!

Check out just a few of many the great posters we received from kids across Oregon who participated in Walk + Bike Day on October 6th.

On Wednesday, October 6th, over 200 Oregon schools participated in Walk + Bike Day, a national event which gets children out of the back seat and into their communities.  A special thank-you goes out to parents, teachers, administrators and others who worked hard to make Walk + Bike Day possible at your school.  With the record-breaking turnout this year, it's safe to say that the event was a huge success!

Check out the BTA's blog about available Safe Routes to School funding to make every day Walk + Bike Day at your school!

Also visit BikePortland's in-depth blog for pictures (and even video!) from Walk + Bike Day events throughout Portland.

Atkinson Elementary Walk + Bike Day

Are you inspired by the success of this year's Walk + Bike Day? Want to do more to encourage biking and walking in your community? The Oregon Department of Transportation is pleased to announce over $2.2 million in available funds for Safe Routes to School (SRTS) infrastructure creation and development projects slated to be awarded in May 2011.

School districts, K-8 schools, local and state governments are encouraged to apply for SRTS funding. Non-profits may also apply for funding in cooperation with a qualifying school, school district or governmental body. Projects that promote walking and biking to school, encourage walking or biking as a healthy lifestyle, or promote safety and traffic calming around schools will be considered for approval.

There are some guidelines and other important information to consider when applying for SRTS funding.  Download the ODOT announcement and the Safe Routes to School Funding guidelines for all you need to know about applying for project funds. Be sure to submit your Action Plans by November 16th for first-round approval.

Walk + Bike Day is less than a week away! Check out the press release issued by the Portland Bureau of Transportation below to learn more about the special gathering at Atkinson Elementary to celebrate freedom from buses and back seats.

MEDIA ADVISORY: Walk + Bike to School Day is Oct. 6

WHAT: In celebration of International Walk + Bike to School Day, Mayor Sam Adams and the Portland Bureau of Transportation are hosting an event with the students of Atkinson Elementary. Local dignitaries in the education, health and transportation fields are expected to join more than 150 children and parents as they walk or ride to school.

Once at school, this diverse group of students and parents will be encouraged to use active transportation by Mayor Sam Adams and enjoy snacks. Parents, guardians, local dignitaries and media will have the opportunity to connect and interview over coffee once students enter the school for class.

WHY: Experts say that children need at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. Sadly, our kids aren’t getting it. Evidence shows that while the rate of children walking and biking to school in America has dropped during the past few decades, the rate of children who are obese has simultaneously tripled. The Portland Bureau of Transportation wants to improve childhood health by showing students and their parents that walking and biking to school is fun, easy and healthy.

WHO: Portland Mayor Sam Adams will be joined by more than 150 students and parents walking and biking to school. Local dignitaries will be attending, including representatives from Portland Public Schools, Oregon Department of Transportation, Kaiser Permanente, Portland Police Bureau and Portland Bureau of Transportation. Additionally, several students and a physician will be available for interviews.

WHERE: Atkinson Elementary is located at 5800 SE Division Street, Portland, OR? 97206. Media are asked to assemble on the basketball court behind the school – on the south side. The school parking lot is accessed via SE 58^th and SE Clinton.

WHEN: Wednesday, October 6, from 8 to 9 a.m. Four “walking school buses” are scheduled to meet at Atkinson Elementary by 8:15 a.m.

Good news! We still have a limited number of incentive packages available for schools that register for Walk + Bike to School Day. Sign up soon to receive stickers, shoelaces and other fun prizes for your Walk + Bike Day event on October 6, including a very special Nutcase helmet.

Start planning your event now while you wait for your incentive package to arrive in the mail. Download the coordinator packet along with the 2010 poster.

Quick tip for coordinators: you will be asked to participate in a post-event survey asking about the event, number of participants, challenges and successes.  The survey will be distributed before for the event and we encourage you to respond as soon as possible while the day is still fresh in your mind.

Why register now?
With physical education disappearing from schools, it has become increasingly important to teach kids the many benefits of staying physically active.  Recent studies continue to prove a correlation between physical activity and brainpower: some have even shown a relationship between physical activity and actual brain size. Two separate studies showed that kids who exercised frequently had bigger basal ganglia (the part of the brain that helps with control and attention) and larger hippocampi (a portion of the brain used for complex memory) than kids who were typically inactive. Check out the New York Times article for more information about these studies.

Register your school for Walk + Bike Day to get kids moving in the right direction towards bigger, better brains!

Need another reason to register your school for Walk + Bike Day? Here's one: walking and biking is good for the health and well-being of our kids. Read about the results of a recent study demonstrating that physical activity reduces stress levels amongst school children.

In a study conducted in a behavioral research facility by the University of Buffalo, 20 children took a virtual automobile ride to school which included sitting in comfortable seating and watching a simulated suburban neighborhood pass by.  The other 20 children participated in a one-mile treadmill walk while similar depictions of a suburban neighborhood were presented.

After resting, children who rode to school had an increase of 11 heartbeats per minute when asked to complete a basic cognitive test, while children who walked to school only had an increase of 3 heartbeats per minute during that same test.  "Walkers" also had a systolic blood pressure three times lower than that of their "rider" counterparts. Children who "walked" to school also had significantly lower perceived levels of stress during the test than those children who "rode" to school.

Walk + Bike Day provides a great opportunity to show children how fun (and easy!) it can be to practice good habits that are healthy for both themselves and the environment.  Signs of cardiovascular disease are seen in children at a young age, so it's never too early to teach children the many benefits of physical activity. Both children and communities will be safer with decreased automobile traffic near schools and increased opportunities for kids to engage with one another and their neighborhood. Together we can show kids that physical activity is a fun, rewarding experience that comes with countless benefits!

Check out the full article about the University of Buffalo study here. If your school is ready to take the first steps toward healthier children and communities, sign up for Walk + Bike Day!

With over 70 Oregon schools already signed up for Walk + Bike Day, incentive packages are going fast! Be among the first 200 schools to register by Thursday, September 9th to receive fun goodies like shoelaces, Walk + Bike stickers and even a cool Nutcase helmet! Check out the brand new 2010 Walk + Bike Day poster featuring last year's Poster Contest Winner!