TravelSmart to School
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The TravelSmart to School program works with primary schools to promote walking, cycling, public transport and carpooling for school trips.
More than 14,000 students from over 190 schools in metropolitan Perth and regional centres have already participated in the TravelSmart to School program.
The program aims to:
- Raise awareness about the impacts of high car use and encourage the use of transport alternatives
- Provide students with the skills and motivation to travel more independently, increase their physical activity levels and improve air quality while reducing greenhouse emissions
- Develop students' leadership skills so they are empowered to implement TravelSmart projects in their school
Read more about Schools and results. |
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How the program works
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Millennium Kids delivers the TravelSmart to School program. Millennium Kids is a not-for-profit youth based environmental group that empowers young people to make a difference to the environment.
They work with a core group of students in participating schools to develop their leadership skills and provide support so they can develop and implement a TravelSmart plan of action in their schools, culminating in a TravelSmart to School week.
The TravelSmart to School program includes:
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A two-day Millennium Kids Sustainability Roadshow (pdf 173kb) to introduce a core group of students from participating schools to the program and develop their leadership skills
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Professional development for teachers, and a curriculum-based TravelSmart to School Kit (812kb pdf) - this kit includes activities linking with the Western Australian Curriculum Framework and resource sheets
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Access to the very funny motivational play “The Swashline - A South Perth Wongi”
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An on-line web-based survey tool where students enter their results, which are graphed instantaneously
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Trained Millennium Kids mentors who provide practical support to students in the implementation of their TravelSmart plan of action·
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Prizes for schools that achieve the best results from the TravelSmart to School Week
The TravelSmart to School program is designed to run over a 4-5 week period but can be tailored to suit a school's specific needs.
The TravelSmart to School Program has a Sustainability Roadshow which integrates with the Australian Sustainabile Schools Initiative - WA. This provides an opportunity for schools to include TravelSmart to School as part of their sustainability initiatives.
In 2007, 60 schools completed the program, achieving an 16.8% average reduction in car trips and saving 2,688 kilograms of greenhouse gases over a one-week period. Find out more about the TravelSmart to School results. |
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School Travel Plans
School Travel Plans are community driven strategies designed to support the change from car use to active transport modes for the school journey. Children and parents are encouraged to become more physically active by walking, cycling and using public transport.
The current situation for schools is that most students use cars to get to and from school. The aim for School Travel Plans is to reduce car trips, decrease traffic congestion and air pollution around the school, improve safety, improve physical fitness, promote active transport (walking, cycling, and scootering), additionally to create a healthier community and environment.
A School Travel Plan outlines how an individual school will generate and encourage active transport change by detailing objectives, concerns, initiatives, incorporated into an action plan with timeframes suitable for the years ahead. Each Travel Plan is different and personal to the school. In order to be successful a School Travel Plan must be supported by the whole school community i.e. parents, teachers, students and local government. School Travel Plans have been implemented in Victoria and are compulsory for all schools in the United Kingdom. In WA, South Perth Primary School is the first school to complete a Travel Plan.
If you would like your school to reduce car travel for the school journey, please contact the DPI TravelSmart Program Development Officer on 9216 8300 or email travelsmart@dpi.wa.gov.au
School Travel Plan Pilot Project
The Awesome Walk-Some Program
South Perth Primary School is the first school in Western Australia to develop and implement a TravelSmart School Travel Plan. South Perth Primary parents, students, teachers and the Deputy Principal worked with the City of South Perth, Viva Health and the Department for Planning and Infrastructure to initiate and develop the School Travel Plan. The winning name from the school naming competition was the Awesome Walk-Some Program.
South Perth primary school leapt at the opportunity to have the first School Travel Plan in the state, as the school experienced severe traffic problems and road safety issues around the school at peak times. Between 150 and 200 cars drop off students at peak times; this equates to 66 % of students travelling by car to school. The school also felt this program could assist in addressing the falling physical activity levels among students.
The Awesome Walk-Some Program aims to reduce car travel to the school by 10 % by 2010. The Awesome Walk-Some Program focuses on initiatives that encourage walking, cycling and public transport rather than relying on the car, and profiles strategies that the school community can implement. It builds on other TravelSmart programs South Perth Primary School has participated in over the years, such as the Walking School Bus and the TravelSmart to School program.
The Premier’s Physical Activity Taskforce and the WA Local Government Association, through the Lotterywest grant scheme, supported the Awesome Walk-Some Program.
One of the actions emerging from the Awesome Walk-Some Program is “Walk to School Wednesdays”. Students are encouraged to walk or ride to school every Wednesday. This activity is enables students to increase their physical activity and care for their environment.
Awesome Walk-Some Program (pdf 1MB)
The benefits
- Less traffic congestion and improved road safety around your school.
- Less demand for parking spaces.
- The TravelSmart to School Kit makes it easy for teachers to use TravelSmart to School curriculum based activities to reach their learning outcomes.
- Increased profile and involvement of your school in the local community.
- Cleaner air - up to half of the pollutants emitted on short car trips are caused by ‘cold starts’.
- Savings in greenhouse gas emissions.
- Improved fitness and health for those who make the changes.
- Students learn how to travel safely and independently, developing a healthy habit for life.
- Students who walk or cycle to school are more alert and learn better.
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Want more information?
For more information on TravelSmart to School, contact the TravelSmart team at the Department for Planning and Infrastructure.
