Schools encouraged to get involved in "Active Travel Action"

Local students are being encouraged to think about the impact of their travel choices thanks to a new Active Travel Action initiative.

Active Travel Action is a curriculum resource developed by Greater Wellington Regional Council and Enviroschools which gives students the opportunity to take action in response to busy school gates, road safety issues, climate change and student well-being.

While the curriculum resource has only started to find its way into classrooms this year, students have already taken action through other Greater Wellington initiatives such as Movin'March. 

Sachleen Manesh, a Year 6 student from Eastern Hutt School, encouraged her fellow students to think about exercise and healthy eating as part of a senior student project.

Sachleen created a display poster to help promote activity for health and well-being, highlighting ways of getting to school which will benefit both students and the environment around them.

The enthusiastic student says during Movin'March her school held a competition which promoted the importance of students and adults keeping fit.

"Staying fit keeps us healthy and it makes us stronger mentally and physically. Movin'March was one way to do this because you can walk, bike or scoot to school."

Sachleen created the poster over a weekend with her friend. "It look us three days to make, we spent a lot of time doing it."

The diligent student says the aim of the poster was to give younger children tips for eating healthy as well as different ideas on how they could exercise to stay fit.

She says children aged three to five should spend most of their day being active and playing, while six to seventeen-year-olds should generally be active for about 60 minutes per day.

"If we walked to school that could count for some of those minutes." Sachleen says.

The poster will be displayed in the school atrium "so lots of children can see it".

Greater Wellington Travel Choice Coordinator Kirsty Barr says the Active Travel Action resource provides a process for schools to implement sustainable active travel practices in their school through student inquiry.

"I think what has happened at Eastern Hutt School is a great example of how this resource can work in action.  Students are at the centre of the process and are actively involved with making a difference. 

"We encourage all schools in the region to get involved in active travel and for the students to think about both the environmental and health benefits of sustainable travel," Kirsty says.