Iowa Safe Routes to School Project Funding provided by

I-WALK Partnership & Purpose Assist communities in the development, implementation, and evaluation of local Safe Routes to School programs Iowa Department of Public Health Public School System Iowa State University Extension Local Public Health

I-WALK Goal To develop a sustainable model for community coalitions to continuously update, implement, and evaluate the local Safe Routes to School (SRTS) plan.

I-WALK Phases  Phase 1: Organization Coalition formation/planning  Phase 2: Initial operations Program implementation: Teacher Tally, Parent/Child Survey, GPS walkability audit, Expansion of coalition  Phase 3: Early sustainability planning

I-WALK Success: A Focus on Building Coalitions All coalitions are meeting and most are meeting on a regular basis 54% I-WALK communities had coalition meeting previous month Members attending meetings range from 4-19

Coalition Members

Benefits of a Community Coalition Enhances understanding of the need for SRTS Expands networking opportunities Strengthens political position in community Increases access to funding opportunities that require collaboration

Keys to an Effective Coalition Create a clear mission and goals Identify specific action steps to achieve goals Define roles of coalition members: – Level of time commitment – Needed area of expertise – Nature of participation (communication, share resources, actively participate)

Identifying Coalition Members: WIIFM? What’s In It For Me ? – How does being a part of your coalition help achieve their goals—professional and/or personal? Professional: helps them expand their program outreach, updates to current happenings in community they can be involved in Personal: They may have a child at that school who WOB to school, personal interest in wellness

Coalition Members

Student: How your coalition benefits How can your coalition benefit from having a student on it? Identification of barriers adults may not be aware of Unique insight into peer groups Assist with awareness efforts

Student: WIIFM? How could a student benefit from being a part of the coalition? Making a difference Voice is being heard Visible changes in school environment Leadership opportunity

Coalition Meetings: Keeping Interest State meeting and project goals and objectives at each meeting Keep the meetings productive and action oriented: What needs to be done, by whom, by when, to accomplish what Share project successes and progress toward goals Allow members to share their program updates

Local Public Health: Finding your Niche Leading the way! Amy Marlow, Director Buchanan County Public Health Department Independence, Iowa

Department of Natural Resources WIIFM? Insight from a coalition member… Scot Michelson Park Ranger Department of Natural Resources Fayette, Iowa

Department of Public Safety State partners with local resources: Mick Mulhern Program Administrator/Youth Coordinator Iowa Department of Public Safety Iowa Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau Des Moines, Iowa

Department of Education: School Transportation Directors State partners with local resources: Max Christensen School Transportation Department of Education Des Moines, Iowa

Online Resources Building a case for SRTS: Iowans Fit for Life Iowa Department of Natural Resources Iowa Department of Public Safety Iowa Department of Education rticle&id=1240&Itemid=2125

Questions? If you have additional questions that were not answered during this call, please direct them to: Tami Larson

Thank you!