Redwood Mobility Education Program

The Redwood Mobility Education Program brought together partners from Public Health, schools, after school programs, community-based organizations, parents, and law enforcement to shift norms about students walking and/or rolling to schools. The program incorporated individual behavior change activities, institutional changes, school staff trainings, and youth engagement to increase the numbers of students and families actively transporting themselves to school. The goal of RMEP was to address public health needs in our community related to pedestrian safety and obesity prevention.

NRS worked with Humboldt County DHHS Public Health and local pedestrian and bicycle advocate BikesThere to develop a afterschool program curriculum and toolkit focused on making walking and bicycling a fun, safe, and natural transportation choice. All lessons were taught at Eureka City Schools after school programs and involved program directors and leaders in the instruction to encourage them to lead lessons in the future. Supplemental materials were developed and packaged with the curriculum and are available for any Humboldt County school or district to check out and borrow from the Humboldt County Office of Education.

In addition, over the course of the three-year grant, physical activity pledges, pedestrian and bicycle safety lessons, and support for regular Walk to School Day events were led at five ECS schools. Zane Middle School youth also led a walkability assessment, followed by a Photo Voice project, and concluding with a safety campaigned called the 'Falcon Flyway', aimed at bringing awareness to student walking and bicycling routes near the school. Their efforts contributed to the City of Eureka passing a resolution to lower speed limit near schools to 15 mph.