How to Use this Toolkit

Whether you are a student, parent or school staff/administrator, you can make a positive difference in your community with SRTS. Using SRTS approaches offers your school or community an opportunity to make walking and wheeling to school safer and more accessible for children, including those with special needs. 

Everyone has an important role to play, and it takes everyone working together to successfully implement SRTS in Jefferson County. We encourage you to work within an existing School Wellness Team or to create a coalition, task force or work group of key partners to develop an action plan around SRTS next steps for your school. Key partners that can make your SRTS efforts successful include parents, teachers/school staff, students, municipal engineers and planners, local police and fire districts, local community groups, neighbors and elected officials. While it is not always possible to include every single one of these partners, the more partners you can bring to the table the better. Again — we all have a role to play in establishing successful SRTS efforts in Jefferson County!

Parents & Caregivers

Parents and caregivers are invaluable advocates for SRTS. There are a wide variety of ways in which you can help educate and encourage your children on how to be safe pedestrians and cyclists, as well as ways to help advocate for safer routes to school and throughout your community. And, of course, children seek permission and role modeling from parents and caregivers to walk and bicycle to and from school.

father and son walking outside holding hands

Students

If you are a student, you can help educate and encourage other students in your school to get involved with SRTS and to walk or bicycle to school. You can also advocate for yourself by asking your parents/caregivers for permission to walk or bike/wheel to and/or from school. This toolkit provides information and resources to help you implement simple and fun education or encouragement activities at your school.

young female student buckling a bicycle helmet onto her head

School Staff & Administrators

School staff are uniquely placed to be leaders of change within their school communities. There are a wide variety of ways to support Safe Routes to School efforts, both large and small, within your school. 

Male teacher with arms crossed standing in classroom in front of chalkboard