Our Safe Routes to School Program Coordinators, Julia and Lara, recently traveled to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to attend the National Safe Routes to School Conference! The conference brought together Safe Routes to School professionals from across the country to share ideas, learn from one another, and explore new ways to make walking, biking, and rolling to school safer and more accessible for students and families.
Throughout the conference, Julia and Lara participated in interactive workshops, field trips, presentations, and panel discussions covering a wide range of topics. They explored strategies for training and supporting crossing guards, adapting bike education curriculum to meet different community needs, and approaching bicycle safety and infrastructure in rural communities.
Lara shared some reflections on the experience:
“Being able to gather with Safe Routes to School professionals from across the country was such a great experience! It was interesting to see how communities in different parts of the country approach Safe Routes to School in different ways. I especially enjoyed the interactive sessions where we could really get hands on with what we were learning. The Safe Routes to School community is such a fun group of people! I’m grateful to have come home with new connections and friendships. It was also my first time to Minneapolis, so being able to explore the city was an added bonus.”
The conference offered amazing opportunities to connect with other Safe Routes to School professionals and learn how communities across the country are approaching the work of making it safer and easier for students to walk, bike, and roll to school. Julia and Lara returned with fresh ideas, new connections, and plenty of inspiration to bring back to their work throughout Central and Southern Oregon.
