The first Wednesday of October always marks National Walk to School Day, a day when schools across the country unite students, staff, families, and community members in a collective effort to walk, roll, or bike to school. This year's Walk to School celebration held special significance, drawing even greater attention and participation.
Newly elected Mayor Freddie O’Connell showed up to walk alongside students, families, Shwab Elementary staff, and other city leaders. O’Connell, who was previously on the board of
Walk Bike Nashville, which organizes the event, has been a strong advocate for improving transportation and infrastructure in Nashville.
Shwab Elementary, a neighborhood school in East Nashville, was one of many MNPS schools that took part in Walk to School Day. Shwab went above and beyond this year with the help of Walk Bike Nashville and the enthusiastic support of Coach Steffani Davis, health and physical education teacher at Shwab.
Davis says she was asked if Shwab wanted to be one of the leading schools in Nashville this year, and she jumped at the opportunity. In previous years, Shwab hasn’t been able to safely participate because of the lack of sidewalks.
“A lot of the kids actually live just half a mile away, but they can’t walk to school because we don’t have enough sidewalks,” said Davis. “The students and families really showed up,” she added.
The celebration kicked off at Trinity Community Commons and followed the route from Trinity Lane to Shwab on Dickerson Pike – a busy road that has been undergoing infrastructure improvements along the route. Much of the route had been blocked with the help of NDOT, the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure.
Students, accompanied by their friends and families, safely covered the distance of less than a mile to their school by walking, biking, or riding in wagons. Those unable to attend welcomed their fellow Bees at the school entrance, culminating the celebration on a high note. Adding to the excitement, Tennessee Titans cheerleaders and mascot T-Rac made a surprise appearance, offering enthusiastic high-fives and posing for photos with the students.
National Walk to School Day serves as a vital platform for promoting traffic safety awareness, advocating for safe streets, and acknowledging the importance of everyday road safety practices. MNPS is proud to participate as we continue to work with our Metro and community partners to create safer, more walkable neighborhoods.
