PROGRAM FEATURES:
The Active School Travel (AST) program offers Brisbane primary schools a suite of free resources, tools and incentives to enable students, parents, carers and teachers to leave the car at home and actively travel to school.
Participating schools will receive access resources, including:
- a dedicated Council expert tol work closely with the school’s AST committee and provide specialist advice on the best ways to increase active travel
- rewards and incentives
- customised active travel maps with identified active travel routes
- assembly performances
- free 60 minute bike and scooter skills training programs with a professional coach
- RACQ Streets Ahead road safety sessions
- bus orientation sessions for senior students covering essential skills such as hailing a bus, using a go card and expected behaviour on public transport
- survey templates and materials for your weekly active travel days
- tools to showcase the school’s achievements
- interclass and interschool competitions
- curriculum links for teachers to use in the classroom.
Other resources:
- Online active travel tips
DATE IMPLEMENTED: 2004
COST OF PROGRAM: FY 2022-23 $699,000
COST FOR USERS: Free for schools.
RESULTS OF EVALUATION:
Since 2004, 168 schools and more than 127,000 students have participated in the program.
Achievements in 2021:
- schools achieved over 60% active travel on a regular basis;
- 245 kids attended bike skills sessions and 379 attended scooter skills sessions; and
- 83% of parents felt their child’s road safety knowledge improved since being in the AST program.
Approximately 90% of AST committee members agreed the AST program helped to increase student physical activity levels and foster community cohesion at their school.