Safe Routes to School

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Walk to School Day

What is Walk to School Day?
Walk to School Day is a global event that involves communities from more than 40 countries walking and biking to school on the same day to raise awareness of the benefits of walking and biking and need for Safe Routes to School. It began in 1997 as a one-day event, and has become the signature fall event for the year-round Safe Routes to School movement. Today, thousands of schools across America – from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam – participate in a variety of ways every October. To register for this year's event, click here.

When is Walk to School Day? Walk to School Day is held annually on the Wednesday of the first full week in October. The dates for the coming years are:

Walk to School Day 2023 – October 4
Walk to School Day 2024 – October 9

Remember that all of October is Walk to School Month, and schools are encouraged to host events whenever is most convenient for them.

What if students can’t walk to school? Even if students live too far or are unable to walk all the way to school, they can meet up with their classmates at a designated spot nearby and walk from there. Or the school can host a Walk at School event, where all students are invited to walk around the school grounds before class begins, during recess or enrichment classes.

Why should my school participate in Walk to School Day? Participating in Walk to School Day and hosting an event is the perfect way to encourage walking to school, teach safe pedestrian skills, reduce congestion during arrival and dismissal, and kick off a Safe Routes to School program for the school year. Most importantly, it’s fun for everyone! Be sure to check out the resources below to help plan your school’s Walk to School Day event. For each school that participates, the Virginia SRTS Program will send a decal for the event to display on their banner. Schools new to the program can earn a banner by participating in two events sponsored by the Virginia SRTS Program. This includes Bike to School Day, Student Travel Tally Week, or Crossing Guard Appreciation Day.

Walk to School Day in Virginia

The popularity of Walk to School Day continues to increase each year thanks to dedicated school staff, crossing guards, community partners, parents, and volunteers who help plan and host events at their schools.

Despite a reduction of registered events after 2020, Virginia consistently is in the top two states for Walk to School Day registrations. Keep walking, Virginia!