Safe Routes to School

On October 2nd, Minneapolis Public Schools will join families and students across the nation to celebrate walking and biking to school. Schools can celebrate on that day or any day in October. Schools that register to participate in the event will receive an awesome “prize package” with I WALKED and I BIKED stickers and other incentives and technical assistance to help make the event a success. Anyone--staff, student, or parent--can organize an event for their school. All events—big or small--are encouraged, and MPS Safe Routes to School can help your school include students who ride the bus or are driven too.

 

Check out the list of registered schools. Your school not on the list?

 

REGISTER NOW 

 

The Minneapolis Walking Routes for Youth map can help you plan your route!

For younger students, a walking school bus is a fantastic, friend-filled way to get to school.

Check out the safety tip sheets for walking (English), walking (Spanish), biking (English) and biking (Spanish). 

Oct 2: Walk & Bike to School Day 

 

Feb 5:  Winter Walk Day during Winter Wellness Week, February 3-7

 

May 6: Bike & Walk to School Day during Spring Wellness Week, May 4-8 

Let’s Go!!! Minneapolis Public Schools Walking and Biking Field Trip Guide is completed! The guide grows out of the fantastic efforts of staff members who have traveled tens of thousands of miles with students on bike and on foot—from one corner of our dear city to another. Together we are working towards a happier, healthier, connected, and vibrant city where all children experience the joys and reap the benefits of active transportation. This project was supported by the Statewide Health Improvement Partnership, Minnesota Department of Health.

The new Minneapolis Public Schools Safe Routes to School Strategic Action Plan is completed! Providing fun, safe, and convenient opportunities for youth to walk and bike not only improves wellness, connectedness, and quality of life in our community, but is also one piece of achieving the academic goals of MPS. The plan brings a focus on equity throughout all SRTS actions and in coordination between MPS, City, and Hennepin County staff. Together with our many partners, we will work toward a vision where all students have opportunities to walk and bike, where communities are safe and connected, and where the beauty that Minneapolis offers is accessible to all. 

Active Commute Equals Active Mind

The November Issue of the Journal of School Health is devoted to the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Model. One article in this issue focuses on Health and Academic Achievement. Some excerpts: “Despite these [reform] efforts, there has been minimal improvement in student achievement. One reason might be that these education-specific approaches are not addressing health-related barriers to learning… Researchers have been examining the association between physical activity and academic achievement for almost 50 years…[research] consistently showed that physical activity had a significant positive association with students' cognitive functioning (eg, concentration and memory)…. In addition, a recent review, based on a meta-analysis of 20 experimental studies, concluded that students participating in physical activity had improved academic achievement including better concentration and attention, higher achievement tests scores, and higher math scores compared with students who did not.” Read the article.

2018-19 Walk/Day Participants

• Walk/Bike Day was October 10, 2018! More than thirty MPS schools representing thousands of walkers and bikers participated.
• Winter Walk Day was February 6, 2019! More than thirty school communities participated during the annual Winter Wellness Week.
• Bike/Walk Day was May 8 and forty schools representing ten thousand walkers and bikers participated during the annual MPS Wellness Week. 

Highlights from 2017-18: