International Walk to School Day is the first Wednesday of October with the entire month of October designated International Walk to School Month. Walk to School events are a way for schools and communities to build enthusiasm for walking to school, to promote the benefits of walking and bicycling and to bring visibility to any safety concerns. It’s also a great time to kick off a Walking Wednesdays program. If you can’t participate on the 8th, don’t worry because October is International Walk to School Month!

WHY PARTICIPATE
To promote physical activity, obesity prevention, and a greener community. To target pedestrian safety. And to win the Mississippi Walk to School Challenge and the Golden Sneaker trophy for one year!

All Mississippi schools are welcome to participate in the Challenge. Schools participate as a team. It’s easy and fun! Schools sign up online at www.walkbiketoschool.org. Register your event by the designated date, and receive goodies to hand out to all of your walkers and bikers the day of your event.

Mississippi Walk to School Challenge THE CHALLENGE!
The school with the highest percentage of walkers and bikers at the walk and roll to school event is awarded the Golden Sneaker trophy, and every participating student walker at the winning event receives a prize.

Don’t fret if you can’t walk to school because it's not safe. Host a walk at school event. You can’t win the trophy but you have a shot at the Step It Up Spirit Award and still get the goodies, posters and the toolkit if you register by designated date!)

THE TROPHY
The winning school gets to display the Golden Sneaker trophy for one year. At the end of the year, they return the trophy for the next winner. The top three schools receive a plaque to show their support for active commuting to school.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

• Designate a coordinator for the event.
• Register your school’s walk event at www.walkbiketoschool.org. Make sure all items on the registration form are completed. Register your event on or before the designated date (listed on the Mississippi Walk to School website) and receive goodies to hand out to participating students.
• Plan your walk to school event for a day in October. If the infrastructure around your school doesn’t support walking, hold a walk at school event. Find resources to help you plan, like sample letters to community leaders, press releases and event flyers, on the Mississippi Walk to School website. www.walkbiketoschool.org has many resources and event ideas and stories from successful events across the country.
• HAVE FUN AT YOUR EVENT!
• Complete and return the follow-up survey that will be automatically emailed to you at the end of October, Walk to School Month. Once all the surveys arrive, we’ll select the winner.

THE MOMENTUM
Use your walk event as a kick off for a regular walk to school program, like Walking Wednesdays. Encourage students and their families to continue walking to school from home or from an established “park and walk” location. For more information, go to http://guide.saferoutesinfo.org/encouragement/park_and_walk.Safety concerns? Plan a walking school bus or bicycle train. Other ideas may be found in the 4 Es page. .