SICHUAN, China - December 4, 2013

In honor of China’s National Road Safety Day on December 2nd, AIP Foundation and Chevron organized a Walking School Bus for children walking home from Gaoqiao  Primary School in Sichuan, China. More than 800 community-members joined in the kick-off event, including 750 students, 30 teachers, 16 parents, 8 Chevron staff, 3 government representatives, 4 policemen, and the Mayor of Gaoqiao township. Passersby stopped their cars to ask questions about the project and to let the Walking School Bus cross safely.

The Walking School Bus is a simple yet innovative way to ensure that children get to and from school each day and to increase community awareness of pedestrian safety. Powered by the community, walking school buses consist of a group of children and adult safety guards who walk along established, safe routes to deliver students to school in the morning and back home in the afternoon. The walking school buses come in all shapes and sizes, from a small group of neighborhood children guided to school by a few teachers or parents to a large network of routes and community volunteers serving an entire school with designated “bus stops” and “pick up times.” No matter what, the Walking School Bus is an easy way for communities to ensure the well-being of their children as they walk to and from school while teaching them positive, first-hand lessons on road safety.

After the December 2nd kick-off, the Walking School Bus will continue to help students return home safely from Gaoqiao Primary School for one month.  AIP Foundation is working to engage parents and community-members in this project so that they may continue the activity throughout the year. If this effort is successful, the project will be implemented in all 18 Walk Wise schools.