Active Travel to School Program
Council is dedicated to assisting schools to implement Active Travel at their schools. The support that can be provided includes:
- implementing path decals/spray painting
- reviewing infrastructure
- reviewing suitable paths and providing recommendations for “Park & Walk”
- information for dissemination to parents/guardians
In addition to the basic support, Council also offers the following programs:
Junior Active Travel Leader
Adapted from a UK model, 2-3 students from Grades 4-6 attending a participating school are selected to be a Junior Active Travel Leader (JATL).
The student and their parent/guardians agree to actively travel at least 2-3 days per week (illness and weather permitting). The selected JATL students choose from a selection of 2nd hand upcycled bikes. They are provided with 2 x 2 hour sessions to learn how to maintain and fix their bike. These sessions are delivered by qualified contractors. Students gain skills in bike maintenance and confidence in being able to support their peers with minor bike repairs.
Students receive a bike lock, and a new bike helmet to support them riding to and from school on a regular basis. In addition, the JATL’s are provided with a vest to use during their time at the school, a double walled steel water bottle, and a JATL zipper pull for their personal use. The Sustainable Transport Officer works with the students and their supporting teachers to run events, promote active travel through discussions with their peers, presentations at school assemblies and other activities. The students gain skills in leadership, public speaking, through promoting active travel to their peers and delivering small events.
This program aims to continuously support students as they move up year levels to develop healthy habits for incidental exercise and safe active travel to school whilst helping to reduce congestion on the roads around the school.
If you are keen for your school to be involved, please contact Dianne Johnson, Sustainable Transport Officer at: sustainable.transport@wyndham.vic.gov.au or mobile: 0436 477 393
Partnership with Dr Cranky
Bart from Dr Cranky will be providing Bicycle Maintenance Sessions to students participating in the Junior Active Travel Leader Program. Students learn basic bike maintenance so they can be confident to repair a puncture, pump up a tyre, check their bike chains, adjust their brakes, replace bells, grips and other minor maintenance items required on a bike.
There is scope to expand this program to other students within the school. If you are interested in this program, please contact:
Dianne Johnson, Sustainable Transport Officer at: sustainable.transport@wyndham.vic.gov.au or mobile: 0436 477 393
Arts in Active Travel Program
An incentive that utilises students’ creative abilities within small school-based competition style programs. In collaboration between the school and council, students design/create an image they think represents active travel. The designs can be made into zipper pulls that can be handed out to students to further encourage active travel; into posters to be attached to the school fence; postcards to be handed out on event days; and other media to highlight the students’ creativity and further encourage active travel.
If you would like to be involved, please contact:
Dianne Johnson, Sustainable Transport Officer at: sustainable.transport@wyndham.vic.gov.au or mobile: 0436 477 393
Active Travel Paths to School Mapping
The Sustainable Transport Officer works with a teacher and a group of students (Student Leadership Group, Active Travel Group, Green Group or similar etc) who would be best placed to assist in coming up with routes to school. Together, the Sustainable Transport Officer, teacher and the students review the paths and spaces to suggest the best paths to school. Once finalised, the paths are spray painted with existing stencils or ones that the students create, and a child-friendly map is created. The child-friendly map is installed in a central location at the school and a soft copy is provided to the school.
Bicycle Victoria - Collaboration
Council and Bicycle Victoria are currently working together to further develop active travel programs. Bicycle Victoria's focus is on bike riding whilst Council is focussed on all aspects of active travel. If your school is keen to do a smaller program such as Bicycle Victoria's Ride2School program, please contact either:
Ride2School on 1800 639 634 or email: ride2school@bicyclenetwork.com.au or
Dianne Johnson, Sustainable Transport Officer at: sustainable.transport@wyndham.vic.gov.au or mobile: 0436 477 393
Active Travel 2023
