(Mason City) – The Walking School Bus Program is encouraging adults to volunteer to walk students to school in the Mason City Community Schools Districts for the Spring 2013 Session.
The Walking School Bus Program utilizes adult volunteers to supervise children as they walk to school. The program is aimed to not only increase physical activity among students, but reduce traffic around the schools and offer parents a safe means for their child(ren) to travel to school. The Walking School Bus Routes are established within one mile of the schools and allow children living along the routes to join the supervised group, as the walking school buses pass their house. For children who live outside of the walking routes, designated Walking Bus Stops are identified for children to be dropped off to join the group. Participating Elementary Schools are Harding Elementary, Hoover Elementary, Jefferson Elementary and Roosevelt Elementary (all in Mason City). Students and Volunteers who registered this fall do not need to re- register. Please visit our website at www.cghealth.com to sign up your children if they are new to the program.
“This is a great volunteer opportunity for adults in Mason City,” says Kelli Huinker, Health Promotion Service Manager at the Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health. “This program also allows students to develop new friendships, practice traffic safety skills and reinforce the message that walking to school is easy and healthy, both for the body and the environment.”
The Walking School Bus Program is made possible through the partnerships of the Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health and Mason City Community School through a grant awarded from the Iowa Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School program.
The spring session is slated to resume March 18, 2013, weather permitting. Interested adult volunteers are encouraged to register online at www.cghealth.com to serve as a Walking School Bus Leader. Volunteers are encouraged to be available at least 1-2 days a week from 7:15-8:00 AM to serve as a Walking School Bus Leader.
For more information about the Walking School Bus Program, please visit our website at www.cghealth.com or call (641) 421-9312.
