How do we get secondary school students to engage in active and sustainable modes of travel?
Project Description: Physical activity has been associated with numerous beneficial outcomes to physical, emotional, mental, and social health, academic performance, and climate benefits (e.g., reduced air pollution). For over 20 years, the City of Hamilton has conducted reviews, improvements, and policy development to create safer neighborhoods for students to use active and sustainable modes of travel to get to and from school. For example, walking, cycling, skateboarding, school bus, and city bus. However, despite concerns for pedestrian safety and decreasing physical activity levels as we age, secondary schools have not been a primary focus. Therefore, there is a gap in the active and sustainable school travel program that must be addressed. While parents are key influencers in the travel mode for elementary students, secondary students are more independent in their day-to-day lives. Therefore, understanding this unique population’s needs and challenges to using active and sustainable school travel, and how to best reach this population is warranted.
Potential Deliverables:
Marketing Campaign
Pilot
Recommendations Report/Resource
Project Location: City-wide, Two schools will be identified by City staff, in collaboration with our School Board partners, prior to the outset of the project. Diversifying for social demographics of health and by the willingness of principals to have the project conducted.
City Staff: Krystn Orr, PhD, Physical Activity Specialist, Chronic Disease Prevention, Public Health Services and Callaway Johnson, Project Coordinator - School and Community, Transportation Planning and Parking
