Students and families are being encouraged to take part in monthly Walking Wednesdays during the 2021-22 school year to help promote mental and physical health. The Safe Routes to School office will be promoting Walking Wednesdays throughout the year, with a different theme each month.

Walking Wednesdays will provide a boost of energy for students and an opportunity for neighbors to greet each other and reconnect at a safe social distance along with physical benefits.  

November’s event is dedicated to Ruby Bridges, the elementary student who, as the first African American student to integrate William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, was escorted to school by federal marshals in 1960. Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day is November 17. Participants are encouraged to walk in their neighborhoods; families, schools, and neighborhoods can register their participation online for Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day. The FCPS Social Studies team has put together a Ruby Bridges Google page for teachers to use. 

Walking Wednesdays are a county-wide initiative in partnership with the Fairfax County Park Authority’s Move Your Way and Healthy Strides campaigns. Inova Fairfax and the Partnership for a Healthier Fairfax also support the campaign. 

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For more information, contact Sally Smallwood at [email protected].