The Six Es
The six Es describe the elements that make Safe Routes to School programs successful:
Engagement
Connecting directly with students, parents, teachers, and community members to hear their needs and to work together on designing programs that will authentically benefit their schools and build connections with local resources.
Equity
Working to understand the barriers to accessing resources and opportunities that affect different groups in our community; and crafting policies, programs, and overall approaches that address these various challenges and needs. This means ensuring that programs authentically benefit and provide resources for historically marginalized communities, including students of color, LGBTQIA+ students, students with disabilities, low-income families, neurodivergent students, and others.
Engineering
Assessing the infrastructure around schools and advocating for improvements to sidewalks, bicycle lanes, and street design to make the built environment safe for walking, bicycling, and rolling to school for all ages and abilities.
Encouragement
Providing activities and events to promote walking, bicycling, rolling, and other multi-modal transportation options.
Education
Creating and implementing consistent, accessible programs to teach safe walking, bicycling, and rolling to students, parents, teachers, and community members. This includes in-classroom curricula and instruction outside the classroom.
Evaluation
Keeping track of successes and challenges in each area to improve ongoing programs and activities.
More Information
To learn more about Safe Routes to School programs, history, and policies on a national level, visit the following links from the Safe Routes Partnership:
Visit Our Program to find out what’s happening in Salem-Keizer!