Oct. 6 is officially International Walk to School Day, known as IWALK. The program has been celebrated locally for the past five years.

Nadia Ratte, a public health nurse and health promoter at the Peterborough County-City Health Unit, says it’s a "great program" that is attracting more schools each time.

"Last year we had 30 schools take part – this year it looks more like it will be 40," she says.

Studies have repeatedly demonstrated the positive effects that daily physical activity has on improving self-esteem and academic achievement, according to a press release from Peterborough Green-Up, one of the community partners in the program.

It also helps alleviate the typical traffic congestion and subsequent air pollution around the school at the start and end of each school day.

Nadia says schools have been sent sign-up sheets and materials to make the day a success, and they’re hoping some schools will choose to make an entire walking week and then keep the initiative going, she says.

"One of the big issues is getting kids more active today," she says. Nadia notes it is also in line with the anti-idling project that the health unit, Green-Up and the City of Peterborough have in place, too. This initiative tries to encourage ending automobile idling while waiting to pick up or drop off kids at schools.

According to statistics from Green-Up, less than half of Canadian children walk to school. This figure drops to 10 per cent in the United States. As well, nearly 75 per cent of Ontario school children surveyed would prefer to walk or cycle to school.

In other statistics provided, two out of three Canadian children do not meet average physical activity guidelines to achieve optimum growth and development and more than a quarter of Canadian and American children and youth are overweight.

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