Celebrate National Walk to School Day and California Clean Air Day
In preparation of our community’s Walk to School Day on Oct. 4, you can visit the Main Library Children’s Desk or Bob Lucas Library to create your own “Walk to School” sign. We will have materials available during open hours until Oct. 3, while supplies last.
We are hosting a Community Clean Air Challenge on Beanstack from Oct. 2-6. Complete four activities to win a packet of seeds. Sign up through Beanstack or stop by the Info Desk at either of our libraries and we can help you sign up!
Enjoy clean air-themed storytimes throughout the week!
Students from area schools will meet at one of three community hubs — including the Main Library — to walk to school on Wednesday, Oct. 4. Contact your school for details on how to participate!
Altadena Students Take to the Streets to Raise Awareness of California Clean Air Day
This week Altadena residents will see an unfamiliar sight: hundreds of students walking to school to raise awareness of California Clean Air Day, which coincides with National Walk to School Day.
On Wednesday, Oct. 4, and Thursday, Oct. 5, students will walk to school along with parents, school administrators, and community leaders. Altadena Town Council Members (ATC) Dorothy Wong, Nic Arnzen, Veronica Jones and Pat Sutherlen will attend, along with Board of Supervisors District 5 Deputies Sussy Nemer and Anish Saraiya, Field Representative Jubilee Byfield from the office of U.S. Congresswoman Judy Chu, District Representative Dominick Correy from the office of California State Senator Anthony Portantino, and representatives from Los Angeles County Public Works, Los Angeles County Parks & Recreation, and Los Angeles County Public Health.
Students from seven schools will walk to school from three hubs: Loma Alta Park-Palm St; Farnsworth Park Parking Lot and the Altadena Main Library. Classmates will gather at the hub closest to their school and walk along a predetermined route. California Highway Patrol will be on hand to direct traffic as needed.
Many students have made Clean Air Day signs and chalk art at the Altadena Libraries in preparation for the walk.
“We are excited that so many schools chose to participate in CA Clean Air-Walk to School Day this year,” said Dorothy Wong, Town Council rep for Census Tract 4603.01 which encompasses Loma Alta Park. “This event demonstrates the desire to walk to school in support of active transportation and healthy communities, however, the lack of safe space for all road users such sidewalks and crosswalks makes it challenging for our students to get to school and to the park safely.”
Walk to School Day events raise awareness of the need to create safer routes for walking and bicycling and emphasize the importance of issues such as increasing physical activity among children, pedestrian safety, traffic congestion and concern for the environment. The events build connections between families, schools and the broader community.
The walk was organized by the Altadena Town Council Traffic Safety & Mobility Committee and the Altadena Library District in collaboration with the Clean Air Coalition. The focus of this year’s event is on Safe Routes to School and young people advocating for clean air in California.
For additional information, please visit these websites:
National Walk to School Day www.walkbiketoschool.org
National Center for Safe Routes to School www.saferoutesinfo.org
California Clean Air Day www.cleanairday.org/pledge/
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About International Walk to School Day
Walk to School Day was established in the United States in 1997 by the Partnership for a Walkable America. Canada and Great Britain already had walk to school programs in place. In 2000, these three countries joined together to create International Walk to School Day.
In May 2006, the National Center for Safe Routes to School was established to assist communities in enabling and encouraging children to safely walk and bike to school.
The National Center for Safe Routes to School serves as the national coordinating agency for Walk to School and Bike to School activities in the United States.
Walk to School Day began as a simple idea – children and parents, school and local officials walking to school together on a designated day. It is an energizing event, reminding everyone of the simple joy of walking to school, the health benefits of regular daily activity, and the need for safe places to walk and bike. Schools focus on health, safety, physical activity, and concern for the environment.
Organizations supporting International Walk to School Day in the United States include America Walks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Highway Administration, the Institute of Transportation Engineers, the National Center for Safe Routes to School, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Safe Kids Worldwide, and the Safe Routes to School National Partnership.
About Clean Air Day
California Clean Air Day is built on the idea that shared experiences unite people to action to improve our community health. By joining together for a unified day of action, we can create new habits to clear the air for all members of California’s diverse communities.
California Clean Air Day is a project of the Coalition for Clean Air.
In 2022, 2 million Californians participated in Clean Air Day, up 11 percent from 1.8 million in 2021.
