1. Akron Children’s Hospital School Health Advocating for Student Health and Wellness in School

2. About Akron Children’s
Ranked a Best Children’s Hospital by U.S. News & World Report
10th largest children’s hospital in country*
Magnet® Recognition for Nursing Excellence  
Largest pediatric provider in NE Ohio
2 hospital campuses
23+ primary care locations
60+ specialty location
4,700+ employees
700+ medical staff
*Source: 2013 Becker's Hospital Review

3. Akron like many communities, struggles with traffic congestion, motor vehicle emissions and children engaging in little physical activity. These problems may seem disconnected; however, a Safe Routes to School (SRTS) coordinated team can tackle all of these challenges. School health is an essential component on any team approach to addressing the needs of children in our schools.

4. A team approach to tackling childhood obesity
Childhood obesity is increasing in the United States. According to research there are recurring themes for why students don’t walk or bike to school:
values that place less emphasis on walking and biking
distance to school
parent’s fear of traffic and crime
resources such as schedule constraints, car ownership, household income
culture including foreign born status, race/ethnicity
weather
school characteristics such as a traditional neighborhood school or access to open enrollment.
All of these reasons can contribute to a lack of physical activity in our school children.
No Data <10% %–14% %–19% %–24% %–29% ≥30%

5. Akron Public Schools APS has 20,990 students
The district covers square miles
APS has 53 school buildings in operation covering students in grades K-12
32 elementary buildings covering grades K-5/6
9 middle school building covering grades 4-8
Of the 20,990 enrolled students on a daily basis 3,619 are transported to school by assigned bus or van leaving 17,381 students to walk/bike to school safely.

6. Coordinated Team Tackles the Challenges
Our community continues to support our students and families, giving them as many chances as possible to succeed in school and life. The Safe Routes to School Partnerships include Akron Children’s Hospital, Akron Public Schools, Summit County Public Health, and the University of Akron as well as other community organizations and businesses.

7. Study addresses health, dangers of walking to school
Statistics collected on injuries on the way to school
Distracted Drivers
Sidewalks
Drug paraphernalia
We collected statistics on all the falls, insect and dog bites, scrapes, cuts and other injuries before getting to school and how they got hurt.
In the first half of the school year, students were getting hurt while monkeying around on the playground. In the second half of the school year, more than half of all the injuries occurred on the sidewalk.
Fifteen injures occurred when drivers struck students. Students dart into traffic, between parked cars but students are only responsible for half of those incidents. In 7 of the injuries, drivers fled before police arrived.
A message for drivers would be to slow down, stop texting and pay attention. Our students deserve your full attention.

8. Promotes healthy behaviors Addresses safety issues Educates walkers
Walk to School Days
Promotes healthy behaviors
Addresses safety issues
Educates walkers
Calms parents fear
Akron Public School children are getting to school but they face many issues. Safe Routes to School promotes healthy walking but also educates students on the hazards and dangers of walking to school. Teachers are talking to their students early in the year on how to walk and bike safely to school. In surveys to parents, they are concerned about crime, drug activity, distracted drivers, and general safety of their children walking alone. Several initiatives have been used to address these issues in Akron:
International walk to school days
Monthly walks to school with themes
Father’s walk
Bike to school days

9. Walking School Bus Park and Walk
Several strategies have been used in Akron to address increasing walking to school. Two of these are park and walks and the walking school bus. Park and walk address congestion around a school building and allows students that live too far from school to participate and walking school buses allow students to walk safely in groups. This strategy was used in one of our schools with a high walking/refugee population. It was successful because it allowed the “bus driver” to work on language skills with the students as they walked to school. The principal was very skeptical about the program but became a staunch supporter when found how well received it was by the community.

10. Akron Children’s Hospital School Health Advocating for Student Health and Wellness in School
Laurel A Celik BSN RN NCSN School Health Services Akron Children’s Hospital