The Walking School Bus
Like a motorized bus there is a planned route with scheduled stops. The Walking School Bus has many benefits for children and families including better health, being more alert in class and socializing with friends and neighbours.
Regular physical activity protects against colorectal cancer and may also reduce risk of breast, lung and uterine cancers. The Walking School Bus integrates physical activity into daily routines and provides an opportunity for children to develop healthy habits at a young age that may be carried on later in life.
The Canadian Cancer Society led the Walking School Bus in Waterloo Region, Ontario from 2018-2021 and continues to lead the Trottibus (Walking School Bus) in Quebec.
CCS has created a variety of resources that can help you to start a Walking School Bus in your community. Many of these resources are in a format that can be edited so they can be adapted and personalize for your school.Start Up Guide and Additional Tools
The Start-Up Guide provides an overview of the steps to take to implement a Walking School Bus. A How to start a Walking School Bus presentation is also included and provides further understanding of what is involved with each step. Additional tools are provided to assist you in completing the steps including a presentation that can be used to train volunteer Walk Leaders.
Promotional Videos
This series of videos was developed to promote the Walking School Bus. There is one longer video the gives a full overview of the many benefits as well as shorter videos that focus on a specific benefit of the Walking School Bus. There is also a video to help in recruiting Walk Leaders. These can be used as part of a presentation or on their own in social media, at school events and more.