Walk to School Week

Walk to School Week is one of the most action-packed weeks on the school calendar. It encourages schoolchildren all over the country to take to their feet and discover for themselves the health, financial, social and environmental benefits of active travel.

Walk to School Week 2012 - Step Forward in Time

Walk to School Week 2012 takes place from 21 May to 25 May and this year pupils are being asked to take a ‘Step Forward in Time’.

This year’s theme aims to enhance pupils' understanding of the importance of preserving our planet for future generations. It encourages children to consider the significant contribution they can make by choosing a more sustainable travel option.

The ‘Step Forward in Time’ theme also intends to highlight the safety benefits of groups of children walking together.  

Travelwise NI is asking schools to tell them how they participated in Walk to School Week and to record how many minutes were walked by pupils during the week. This will help Travelwise NI to measure the success of the initiative and will also allow them to recognise pupils’ efforts.

• Sample form to record minutes walked (PDF, 80KB)
• Help with PDF files

Pupils are encouraged to be creative in their interpretation of the Walk to School Week theme. For example – they could look to the past to their parents’ walking habits, then look at the picture today and imagine what the future will be like.

Travelwise NI is inviting entries for its Walk to School Week scrapbook 2012 – this can consist of photographs, pictures, short films and any other materials used to support the initiative.  

The school which submits their total number of minutes walked throughout the week along with the most innovative scrapbook entry, will win a sports activity pack worth £750.

Why not contact your local paper to let them know about the activities you have planned for Walk to School Week? This will help to spread the message and encourage others to travel more sustainably.

Walk to School Week 2012 poster competition

This year Travelwise NI ran a competition inviting pupils to design a poster for Walk to School Week 2012. The winning entry was by Cara McTaggart, Year 6 at St Columb’s PS, Kilrea. The school won £750 worth of sports activity vouchers as a prize.

• The winning poster (PDF, 2.15MB)
• Help with PDF files

Others entries shortlisted from the competition

• Aimee Blackstock, Cairnshill Primary School, Belfast
• Alicia McBride, St Columba's Primary School, Clady, Strabane
• Catherine Comiskey, St Patrick's Primary School, Armagh
• Erin McBroom, Whitehead Primary School, Whitehead
• Jon Birne, Howard Primary School, Dungannon
• Juste Astrausyte, St Eugene's Primary School, Londonderry
• Kaithlin Swann, Whitehead Primary School, Whitehead
• Lucy Acheson, Whitehouse Primary School, Doagh Road, Newtownabbey
• Molly & Caoimhe, Deanby Gardens, Belfast
• Niall Blair, St Joseph's Primary School, Lisburn
• Ryan Davison, Ballymagee Primary School, Bangor

Walk to School Week 2011

In 2011, Walk to School Week attracted 244 schools and over 54,000 pupils took part. Some of their activities can still be seen in the Walk to School Week Scrapbook.

• Walk to School Week Scrapbook 2011

Last year's theme called on pupils to 'Set the Pace'. It challenged young people to lead the way in terms of sustainable travel habits, setting an example for others and creating a better future for everyone.

Like Travelwise NI on facebook to keep up to date with Walk to School Week news and to view photos and videos from Walk to School Week 2011.

• Travelwise NI (Facebook page)