October 2009

IWALK Week – October 5-9th, 2009 • IWALK day – Wednesday, October 7th, 2009

International Walk to School Month 2008 was an incredible success and has set the month-long stage for what is sure to be a great event in 2009!

Expanded from IWALK Day to Week, the now month-long window provides schools with the flexibility to plan longer campaigns to get students actively commuting to school for their health, the environment, their community and their parent’s pocketbooks! Walking to school is a great way to build physical activity into your day, burns no greenhouse gases, gets more people active in the community and costs nothing!

Actively promoting Walk to School throughout the month could also transition smoothly into the launch of a year-round walk to school program. 

Over 4 million children, parents and community members from over 42 countries around the world participate in International Walk to School Month activities.

Why Participate

There are so many great reasons to participate! Walk to School Month encourages physical fitness. It's a chance to celebrate our environment by keeping our air clean, to share walking safety skills with children, to bring safety to our neighbourhoods and reduce crime, to address traffic congestion, pollution and speed around our schools, and to spend valuable time with one another. All great reasons to get your school and community involved!

Walking to school promotes safety, health, environmental awareness and physical activity among children. Manitoba Schools are encouraged to pick a day, a week, once a week or the entire month to celebrate the event and bring increased attention to these issues.

Thousands of Manitoba schoolchildren will join millions of others from over 43 countries to celebrate walking to school this October in recognition of International Walk to School Month. Many schools have participated in International Walk to School Day since 2000.

How to Participate

Registration is free – once schools have registered they will receive a confirmation e-mail and a registration package filled with great ideas for how to plan, day, week or month long events! Visit www.resourceconservation.mb.ca to register.

For more information contact or (204) 925-3773.

Visit these websites for some great ideas
on hosting a successful International Walk to School event...

IWALK in the USA is maintained by the USA’s National Centre for Safe Routes,
this page has great tips and resources for planning walk to school events during
IWALK week and throughout the year!

Iwalk is the official website of International Walk to School.
The website is full of great resources, ideas, photos and quotes!

Way to Go! School Program is a program of The RoadSense Team of British Columbia, a partnership between the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia and the Autoplan Brokers. The focus of the Way to Go! School Program is to provide communities and schools with the resources they need to create safer traffic environments on local streets.

Green Communities Active and Safe Routes to School program, designed for schools in Ontario, is a comprehensive and adaptable program that engages all community partners in finding solutions that meet their needs.

Visit our virtual store for promotional items for your ASRTS program. From tattoos to reflective vests there are items to suit any need or budget. A portion of the proceeds generated from the sales goes to support the Canadian Active and Safe Routes to School Partnership.

For more information on International Walk to School Week
and Active and Safe Routes to School in Manitoba, please contact:

Resource Conservation Manitoba
3rd Floor - 303 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3B 2B4
Phone: (204) 925-3773
Fax: (204) 942-4207
e-mail: