For the past year and a half we’ve been working on Neighborhood Navigators. Neighborhood Navigators is a k-8 curriculum program that builds student knowledge related to transportation choices and safety. Navigating Neighborhoods starts in kindergarten practicing safe pedestrian behavior and goes through the grade levels with reasons why people should walk and bike more, including personal and environmental health and community design. The curriculum reinforces safe pedestrian behavior throughout the lessons and encourages age-appropriate knowledge and skill practice through 8th grade. All lessons are aligned with Oregon State Benchmarks.

We have just finished pilot testing the three sections of the curriculum in 6 cities throughout Oregon hitting rural, urban and suburban locations. It will be ready for distribution at the 2nd Annual National Safe Routes to School Conference here in Portland August 19-21. Ask Lynne if you’d like more information.

One of the pilot teachers from Oakland, Oregon, had such great success with her sixth grade class, “You would have loved to see the kids presenting their proposed traffic changes to the mayor, city councilors, school board members, and superintendent last Thursday. The response was awesome and the students received great feedback and suggestions from the community leaders. We already have answers to some of our questions and the kids are ready to start shoveling gravel.”

With this response to their work with Neighborhood Navigators the class went on to apply for a Northwest Health Foundation Physical Activity and Nutrition grant. The students wrote most of the narrative, did the research on bike racks, worked with a contractor to estimate the labor for a bike/walk path, and took photos of problem areas. Teacher Susan Derry said: “I'm really proud of them. I think we'll end up accomplishing some of their plans somehow.”

But wait there’s more! I just heard that their grant proposal was accepted! “The Northwest Health Foundation decided to fund our "bike/walk" trail proposal.” It’s amazing what a group of passionate students can accomplish. Way to go, students at Lincoln Middle School!

Other pilot teachers and their schools were: Sarah Boadway at Mid Valley Elementary in Odell, Gigi Sims at Franklin Elementary in Corvallis, Kevin Burt at Seven Oaks Middle School, Lola Hagman at Madras Middle School in Madras, Greg Clarkson at Buckman Elementary in Portland and of course, Susan Derry at Lincoln Middle School in Oakland. Thank you teachers, you are all awesome!!

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