Ohio Department of Transportation
Safe Routes to School
Program Outline
BACKGROUND
As part of our Ohio Safe Routes to School program, the Ohio Department of Transportation seeks to
reduce the number of crashes, injuries and fatalities that occur in and around school zones by
educating students, school officials, and parents on ways to keep it safe when walking and bicycling to
school and when driving in school zones. It’s exciting to know we are making it a priority to give Ohio
kids a safe, healthy start in life by teaching them traffic safety rules and reminding motorists how to
drive safely near schools.
The “Every Move You Make, Keep It Safe” educational campaign is our most comprehensive school
safety outreach ever and we thank you in advance for all your efforts to make it a success. The
campaign, launched in October at a school safety rally in Columbus, includes Ohio’s First Lady Karen
Kasich as Safe Routes to School Ambassador.
CAMPAIGN ELEMENTS
• Message Map
• School Program
 School Safety Rally Script
 School Safety Contest
o Contest Flyer
o School newsletter article about the contest
 “Keep It Safe Out the Door” Music Video
 School Walking/Biking Safety Poster
 School Walking/Biking Safety Tip Cards
 Website with Educational Materials (www.everymove.ohio.gov) + More
 Fast Facts: Why walk or bike?
 Safety IQ Quizzes
 Coloring Pages
 Puzzles
 Carbon Footprint Calculator
 Safety Song Lyrics
• SRTS Media Relations Toolkit
o Safety Campaign Media Advisory + News Release Template + Factsheet
o News Release Template Announcing Mrs. Kasich as SRTS Ambassador
o Media/Public Affairs Show Pitch letter
o Letter to the Editor
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Traveler Tip Card
District-by-District Listing of SRTS Schools Projects and All-Ohio Show Choir
Students in Your Area Willing to Help You Promote Walking/Biking Safety at
Local Schools
School Safety Contest Winner News Release Template
SRTS Project Location Map
GOALS FOR ODOT DISTRICT SRTS COORDINATORS AND PIOS
ODOT district SRTS coordinators and PIOs can use the resources provided to launch the Every Move You
Make program at a local school safety rally and work with local media to generate coverage for the SRTS
messages and program.
HOW ODOT SRTS COORDINATORS AND PIOS CAN GET LOCAL SCHOOLS INVOLVED IN THE EVERY
MOVE YOU MAKE SCHOOL SAFETY CAMPAIGN
 Identify and meet with 5-10 new schools between Oct 2011 and April 30, 2012 and ask them to
participate in the SRTS program by displaying posters, handing out tip cards, watching the video,
entering the safety contest via the everymove.Ohio.gov website. This website is loaded with
educational materials (including the video, lesson ideas, posters and tip cards) and other features to
help teach students, school officials and parents about walking and bicycling safety.
 Notify current SRTS Schools and ask them to do the same
 Seek an opportunity to host a school safety rally (in-school assembly or visit classrooms) to show the
video and introduce the school safety contest. You can use the School Safety Rally Script provided or
create your own program. ODOT Central Office has a limited number of prizes you can give out at
the rallies.
 Meet/email School safety personnel to give them the Contest flier and encourage them to run the
contest newsletter article in their school publications
 ODOT Central Office trainers are putting together walking school bus trainings and adult crossing
guard train the trainer sessions. You can offer the schools the opportunity to attend these and other
trainings. Both of these trainings are in development and should be ready early in 2012.
 Attend crossing guard meetings to play the video and introduce the contest, etc.
 Attend Parent PTO/PTA meetings to play the video and introduce the contest, etc.
 Suggest article for school newsletter, find the editor and ask to submit or to be interviewed about
the contest
 An easy way to get the word out about the Every Move campaign is to include links to the safety
video and Every Move website in all your email correspondence and encourage everyone to pass it
on all school-year long
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EX: Watch ODOT’s Glee-Inspired Walking/Biking Safety Show Choir Video at
everymove.ohio.gov and remind students in grades K-8 to enter our school safety
contest!
While the contest ends April 30, 2012, the Every Move campaign goes on. Please continue all school
outreach efforts – minus the contest – all school year long and into the 2012-2013 school year.
Take photos and get quotes from participating school officials and students and send them to Julie
Walcott at Julie.Walcoff@dot.state.oh.us to be posted on the Every Move website and Facebook
page.
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“Like” the campaign Facebook page and post photos and comments as you work in your district to
promote walking and bicycling safety. Encourage all schools in your area to do the same. Find us on
Facebook: ODOT Every Move You Make Safe Routes to School
Work with local radio, television, print and electronic media to publicize and raise awareness of the
Every Move campaign to carry our safety messages and encourage schools to enter the Contest.
Send the Letter to the Editor to all your local papers and use the Media/Public Affairs Show Pitch
letter to secure news interviews and appearances on public affairs shows. Use the provided new
release templates to alert the media to the campaign and to make them aware of any school safety
rallies you schedule:
o Safety Campaign Media Advisory + News Release Template + Factsheet
o News Release Template Announcing Mrs. Kasich as SRTS Ambassador
Other items you can use with the media to advance our SRTS safety messages include:
o Traveler Tip Card
o District-by-District Listing of SRTS Schools Projects and All-Ohio Show Choir Students in Your
Area Willing to Help You Promote Walking/Biking Safety at Local Schools
o SRTS Project Location Map
Another opportunity to work with local radio, television, print and electronic media to publicize and
raise awareness of the Every Move campaign will be in May and early June 2012 when contest
winners in your area will be announced. This would make a great “end of school year” story – as
part of the curriculum for the year kids learned bicycling and walking safety. Local, weekly
suburban papers would especially like this story. Use the provided new release template for this
purpose along with a photo if possible:
o School Safety Contest Winner News Release Template
Complete “MVP Reporting Form” and upload news clips/interview report
http://www.dot.state.oh.us/groups/EveryMove/Pages/Campaign-Tools.aspx
School Safety Contest
Individual students, classrooms and entire schools can enter to win great prizes. Students can win new
Trek bikes or running shoes. Teachers and schools can win a $1,000 award to support school safety
education. Plus, schools will receive opportunities to attend walking school bus and crossing guard
training.
How to Win
To enter, K-8 students must create a project that proves they understand how to be safe when walking
or riding bikes to school. Students can make a video, conduct a science experiment, design a poster,
publish a magazine, write a cheer, invent a safety device or come up with their own idea.
Prizes
 36 winners will be awarded from all over Ohio.
 Student winners will receive a new TREK bike or running shoes.
 Teacher and school winners will receive a $1,000 award. Awards can be used for laptops, white
boards and other classroom equipment/materials or school safety equipment as long as it
supports school safety education in some way. Plus, schools will receive opportunities to attend
walking school bus and crossing guard trainings.
How to Submit Completed Projects
Entries must include the school name and contact information.
1. Via email to ODOTcontest@murphyepson.com
2. Via U.S. Postal service to:
Every Move School Safety Contest c/o: MurphyEpson
151 East Nationwide Blvd. Columbus, Ohio 43215
Projects Accepted Through April 30, 2012
Projects must be developed between 10/4/11 and 4/30/2012.
Prizes awarded May/June 2012.
Contest Rules
Projects must be created and executed by students in grades K-8!
PURPOSE OF THE CONTEST: The contest is designed to improve walking and bicycling safety knowledge.
Any Ohio K-8 school child, teacher or school that meets the eligibility requirements is welcome to
participate by fulfilling competition requirements.
CONTEST PERIOD
The Every Move You Make Keep It Safe School Safety Contest will begin on October 4, 2011 and end on
April 30, 2012. Contest projects must be developed between October 4, 2011 and April 30, 2012.
Projects will be accepted through 11:59pm on April 30, 2012 via email. Projects mailed through the U.S.
Postal Service must be received by April 30, 2012. Entries received after these dates/times will be
disqualified. Winners will be announced May 2012.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
To participate in the competition, entrants must be:
 A student at an Ohio K-8 school
 A teacher in an Ohio K-8 classroom
 An Ohio school with students in grades K-8
HOW TO ENTER
 Anyone wishing to participate in the contest must register online and complete the required
information.
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Only one (1) entry per student is permitted. Teachers may submit one (1) entry for each of their
students. For schools choosing to submit school wide projects, only one (1) entry per school is
permitted.
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Individual Students Form: Students can register themselves. Teachers and other school
administrators can also register a student individually. Student winners will require a parent or
guardian to sign a release form.
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Teacher/Classrooms Form: Teachers need to complete the classroom form to enter. Winning
teachers will be required to sign release forms.
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Schools Form: Schools should complete the school form to enter. An administrator from the
winning school will be required to sign a release form.
Questions?
Please send an email with your phone number or contact your local ODOT safety team.
First Ever “Bike to School Day” Is May 9, 2012
The National Center for Safe Routes to School has announced a brand new spring event to celebrate
getting to school on bike or on foot. Offer to help local schools with their planning by:
 Conducting a school safety assembly complete with prizes and safety quiz. You can even invite a
SRTS student ambassador to be the emcee.
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Helping schools or SRTS parents host a bike rally in conjunction with a local retailer like Kroger
or Walmart who can provide fruit snacks and free waters and space in their parking lots. Have
stunt bicycle riders perform, pass out tip cards, invite local bike and helmet stores to offer free
repair inspections, ask local biking organizations to demonstrate safety tips, set up a bicycling
obstacle course for kids to practice maneuvering, invite your local media to attend and bring
their children. Publicize in advance using media templates provided.
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Passing out SRTS safety tip cards to students
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Hanging SRTS safety posters throughout schools
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Playing the “Keep It Safe Out the Door” Video for students
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Sending a letter to your local newspaper editor to let everyone know about Bike to School Day
and to tell drivers to be especially careful
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Asking your local stations to run ODOT Public Service Announcements
MESSAGES
 Between 2008 and 2010, nearly 12,000 (11,734) bicycle and pedestrian-related crashes occurred
within two miles of an Ohio K-8 school. This resulted in 244 fatalities and more than 7,000
(7,350) injuries.
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Safety is everyone’s responsibility, especially because many accidents are preventable.
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Ohio has 3,000+ K-8 grade schools serving 1.2 million students.
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ODOT believes that one injury in a school zone is one too many.
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ODOT has an active Safe Routes to School program that is encouraging more school awareness
and planning around safety by working with community leaders, schools and parents.
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School programs work to reduce traffic congestion and improve health and the environment,
making communities more livable for everyone.
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ODOT has awarded nearly $32 million dollars since 2005 to help nearly 400 schools improve
safety by working with communities on infrastructure upgrades. Now it is expanding its
outreach with an educational campaign.
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ODOT’s Safe Routes to Schools campaign is part of a nationwide effort and is aimed at:
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Improving safety on school routes for students who walk and ride their bikes to school;
Educating Ohio’s K-8 students on safe ways to bicycle and/or walk to school;
Reminding all travelers to drive safely in school zones;
Supporting more school awareness and planning around safety and safety education.
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ODOT is launching a safety contest in Fall 2011 to get more students and classrooms engaged in
safety.
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Schools are always looking for ways to improve school safety and the Every Move educational
campaign makes it easy to teach kids best traffic safety practices
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Ohio’s First Lady Karen Kasich is the safety ambassador for Ohio’s Safe Routes to Schools
program.
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ODOT’s music video by the All-Ohio Show Choir has a hip hop-style safety song to improve K-8
students’ safety knowledge and engage them in ODOT’s school safety contest.
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New – May 9, 2012 is National SRTS Bike to School Day
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October is International Walk and Bike to School Month.
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Walking and bicycling to school helps children stay fit and ready to learn
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All travelers need to slow down and follow all traffic laws and speed limits near schools and in
school zones
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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found that physical activity before, during and after
school can improve school performance, increasing attention spans and concentration.
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ODOT wants every child to arrive safely at school and is offering tips on how to make it an
active, safe experience:
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Wear helmets
Know the conditions of your route
Know the traffic laws
Walk or ride bikes with friends
HOW STUDENTS AND PARENTS CAN GET INVOLVED
 Participate in ODOT’s school safety contest – see EveryMove.ohio.gov for details
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Watch our “Safe Routes to School” Video at EveryMove.ohio.gov and discuss safety tips.
Visit the “Every Move You Make, Keep it Safe” website to download educational materials and enter
the contest
Organize and plan events and rallies in October and May to support Walk to School and Bike to
School Day observances
WHY TEACHERS AND SCHOOL OFFICIAL SHOULD GET INVOLVED
Teachers: Walking and bicycling to school helps children be fit and ready to learn. Your class can win
great prizes in the Safe Routes to School safety contest.
School Officials: Your whole school benefits when children walk and bike to class. Students improve
their health and learning readiness. Parents will appreciate your efforts to promote walking and
bicycling safety, and reduce traffic congestion during drop off and pick up. Your school can win an
award for participating in a Safe Routes to School contest.
HOW THE PUBLIC CAN GET INVOLVED
 Visit the ODOT “Every Move you Make, Keep it Safe” website at www.EveryMove.ohio.gov and
 download safety tip cards.
 Read, understand and follow traffic laws available at www.bmv.ohio.gov/.
 Taking the “traffic IQ Quiz” at www.everymove.ohio.gov