Purpose:
Develop a youth engagement program within middle schools in East Central Wisconsin as a complement to the Regional Safe Routes to School Program. The youth engagement program should empower student leaders and adult facilitators in middle schools by providing the knowledge and resources to lead activities and events that support active transportation options for both urban and rural middle schools. Youth engagement is a community empowerment approach.
Youth engagement is about young people being actively involved in addressing issues that affect them personally and/or that they believe are important. Youth engagement means amplifying young people’s voices and leadership, creating safe spaces where they can discuss issues that affect their lives, and taking action. This project will take this approach to working on the issue of walking and biking to school as part of a larger Safe Routes to School program.
