The wheels on this bus do not go “’round and ’round.”
In fact, there aren’t any wheels. Instead, the “drive” to school relies on a collection of sneakers and boots propelling small bands of students from their homes’ front doors to their classrooms.
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh nursing students are leading this “Walking School Bus” project from west-side neighborhoods to the halls of Carl Traeger Elementary and Middle School. They believe the dozens of students they are helping safely get to class are arriving in a more healthy and focused state, too.
The group of UW Oshkosh nursing students got on board the Walking School Bus as a community-based project. The student “drivers” meet groups of students in the Carl Traeger neighborhood attendance areas and, in collaboration with parents and school administrators, safely escort the students to their K-12 home in time for the start of the day.
Here’s a snapshot of one such trip in April…
The national program is designed to combat childhood obesity, help grade school students hone their focus before the start of lessons and build community. The project was also built in collaboration with the Fox-Valley-based East Central Regional Planning Commission, a comprehensive planning agency in northeastern Wisconsin that sees the Walking School Bus as a safe and healthy alternative to vehicular travel that, too often, often jams school zones.
The UW Oshkosh nursing students’ goal is to eventually hand off the program and the “driving” responsibilities to parents in the school’s attendance area.
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