Grants are now available to Maine schools through the Maine Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program, a federally-funded partnership of the Maine Department of Transportation, the Bicycle Coalition of Maine and communities throughout the state working to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety and encourage more students to walk and bike to school.
The 2014 Mini-Grant Program is for school initiatives planned this coming winter and spring that go the extra step to build stronger walk and bike to school programs. SRTS will select up to 20 recipients to receive awards of up to $250 each.
Schools and community groups are encouraged to apply by the Dec. 20 deadline if their proposed project:
- Provides at least one safe walking and/or bicycling experience for local students (such as, a walk or bike field trip or Walk & Bike to School events) AND
- Engages the school and/or community in at least one other (different) safe routes to school activity (for example: walkability audit of at least one route to school, mapping safe routes to school, administering a Parent Survey to gauge parental perceptions of walking & biking to school, starting a Safety Patrol, etc.).
For more information or to review project ideas, contact the Maine Safe Routes staff at saferoutes@bikemaine.org or 623-4511.
Resources
Yes, it’s not much money, but for some schools and community groups, it can be just the spark they need to get a good idea off the ground. Past grantees have used the money to organize awareness events like Walk and Wheel Wednesday or do an in-school awareness campaign, provide a stipend to someone who can come in to the classroom to talk about bike safety, do a parent outreach campaign or survey, and much more. You can read more past success stories here: http://ht.ly/rsxIy.
I think this is a great idea; however, what do you really believe can be accomplished with $250.00?