Great Bend’s public elementary schools are about to engage in a very worthwhile endeavor – the Walking School Bus program. It will be implemented in all five USD 428 elementary schools.
What is a Walking School Bus you ask? It an effort to encourage kids to walk to school, you know, what we all used to do when we were growing up.
Under this concept, a group of children who walk to school together under the supervision of a trained adult leader. The program promotes good health, a cleaner environment, and reduced traffic around school. It also allows children to have a safe, consistent system to walk to school on a regular basis, even when traffic, weather and crime are concerns.
Teachers also see a marked improvement in the performance of the students who take part.
But, there is a catch. Adult volunteers are needed. 
The district would like at least four routes at each school with two adults on each. They are currently looking for adult volunteers to serve as leaders to walk with children each morning.
 The program starts on Wednesday April 1 and finishes on Thursday May 21.
Volunteers can give one hour of their week or up to five hours a week, can choose to walk one morning or up to five mornings, and pick which school they want to walk for. Routes run from 6:45 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. and are about one mile long.
They are willing to train folks who want to take part and a one-hour training session for volunteers is suggested. Dates of trainings are: 4 p.m. March 25, 7 p.m. March 26, and 10 a.m. March 28. All take place at the Eisenhower School Library.
Background checks will be run on all volunteers.
This expansion follows on the heels of the success of a Walking School Bus at Riley Elementary last fall. It was one of 15 pilot schools in the state to match volunteers with students to walk designated routes to school. An average of 70 children walked three different routes daily during the six-week program.
It allows us to give to children that which we took for granted as kids – walking to school.
Take time to volunteer. Sure, the children will benefit, but so will you.
Dale Hogg