Photo: Jake Ingle

By Laura Durenberger-Grunow - Boreal Community Media - November 14, 2023


The weather looks perfect on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, for the bi-annual Grand Marais Walk to School Day, hosted by the Cook County State Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) and Cook County Public Health and Human Services.

Walking to school may seem like a natural, everyday occurrence, but data from the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota, an organization that works to increase biking and walking throughout Minnesota found that “The number of children that walk or bike to school went from 47.7% in 1970 to 12.7% in 2009”.

This decrease is concerning for many reasons. 

Research shows that kids who walk, bike, or roll to school are more focused and ready to learn when they get there. They’re less likely to have behavioral problems and have overall greater academic achievement. Kids are also more likely to gain independence and experience an increase in overall confidence - especially when it comes to navigating around their own community.

Community Benefits

It’s not just the kids who benefit from walking, biking, and rolling to school, but the community as a whole. 

Overall community-wide benefits include: 

• Lower carbon footprint due to reduced CO2 emissions and harmful pollutants

• Many infrastructure changes made to accommodate walkers and bikers around schools also benefit seniors and those with disabilities

• An increase in people walking and biking to school provides an increased sense of security and safety by having more “eyes” around the community

• The more drivers get used to walkers and bikers in an area, the higher chance they’ll drive slower and more alert

Volunteers are needed to help make this event a success. Learn more here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050C4DAEAB2CA6FF2-46135657-walk/140416251#/