Nebraska

Safe Routes Nebraska

Managed by the Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR), Nebraska’s federally funded Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program is the source for state coordinator contact details, federal SRTS funding amounts, SRTS applications and guidelines, and state SRTS program information.

Quick Links

Nebraska SRTS Federal Funding  |  Application Guidelines
State Advisory Committee  |  State Outreach Programs
Evaluation Methods  |  Success Stories
Nebraska Partner Affiliates

Nebraska SRTS Federal Funding

Nebraska’s SRTS funding from FY2005-2009* totals $5,013,931 and includes the following annual apportionments:

* Funding for SRTS is being continued into FY2010 and FY2011 at FY2009 levels.

Application Guidelines

Safe Routes Nebraska is the Nebraska Department of Roads’ (NDOR) state-level implementation of the federal Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program. NDOR has announced project selections for federal fiscal years 2005-2010. Twenty-five non-infrastructure projects are currently underway, four non-infrastructure projects have been completed, and twenty-eight infrastructure projects are in the design stage.

To ease the federal aid process for funding recipients, NDOR teamed with a consulting firm, Sinclair Hille Architects, and developed Project Implementation Guideline booklets (one for infrastructure and one for non-infrastructure). These booklets assist local public agencies and schools with following the state and federal guidelines associated with federal funding.

Statewide outreach in the form of application workshops has been conducted. NDOR most recently chose areas of the state that have not received funding to-date as workshop sites. Other areas of the state are welcome to set up time with the State Coordinator to review the program and their project ideas.

Nebraska has one set of application guidelines with separate sections for each of the project categories. A unique aspect of the Nebraska program is the four-step application process that provides applicants advice and feedback as they go through the application process.

For more information, please see the Nebraska SRTS program web site www.SafeRoutesNE.com.

Nebraska has awarded approximately $450,000 in federal Safe Routes to School Program funds to communities for five statewide projects. Funding was awarded to the following agencies:

• Public Health Solutions – “No Child Left Inside”, $44,775, on behalf of Crete Elementary Schools
• Public Health Solutions – “No Child Left on Their Behind”, $48,822, on behalf of Thayer Central Community Schools, Hebron, NE
• Superior Public Schools – Superior Schools Safe Routes Project, $66,891
• City of South Sioux City – South Sioux City Connecting Schools Trail, $196,540
• Prescott Elementary School in Lincoln – Let’s All Pedal to Prescott, $99,338

State Advisory Committee

The Safe Routes Nebraska Selection Committee’s purpose is to help shape program policy and review, score, and recommend projects for funding. The Committee is comprised of five voting members and three non-voting members. The five voting members have expertise in education, engineering, public health, landscape architecture, and law enforcement. The three non-voting members represent the NDOR Local Projects Section and the NE Division of FHWA.

The SRN Selection Committee first met in April 2007 as an orientation to the program. Since that time, they have met three times to review and score projects for recommendation to the Director of the Nebraska Department of Roads. In addition, they’ve met twice to review program policy.

State Outreach Programs

Nebraska has created many statewide resources for education and encouragement. These include a partnership handbook, rewards program guide, walk to school day event planning guide, parents’ tutorial, K-8 curriculum, an in-class jeopardy game, brochures, stickers, book covers, and media kits. These items are all available from the Safe Routes Nebraska website. There are no fees to use these items.

In 2008, NDOR began distributing a quarterly e-newsletter to superintendents, principals, teachers, chamber of commerce, cities, counties, and villages. The e-newsletter, “The Safe Routes Story” provides safe routes to school resources, highlights existing programs, and a Q&A section with Kelly Morgan, the State SRTS Program Coordinator.

On Wednesday, April 21, 2010 Nebraska will celebrate their third annual Spring Walk to School Day. It is a perfect opportunity to encourage children to get more exercise by walking or biking to school, and it ties nicely with Earth Day that same week. NDOR provides all safe routes to school contacts with materials to make it easy for communities and schools to organize an event.

Nebraska will continue conducting free statewide application workshops each summer. Additionally, statewide educational conferences, such as the Public Health Association of Nebraska, Nebraska School Council of School Administrator Days, the Nebraska Rural Community Schools Association, the Nebraska State Education Conference, the Nebraska Action for Health Kids Health Summit, and the Cornhusker State Games have been great opportunities to share important program information. Meeting with each applicant during the funding application process is also an opportunity for outreach.

Evaluation Methods

Nebraska requires evaluation and provides applicants the National Center for SRTS’s Parent Survey and data tools. Some applicants also use other evaluation methods, such as Body Mass Index, and traffic data. The Parent Survey data has proven helpful for local programs to assess needs, and also, for the state program to focus outreach efforts. In the Spring, 2010 NDOR will be surveying safe routes to school contacts about their experience with the program.

Success Stories

Nebraska Gets Ready for Spring Walk to School Day

Safe Routes Nebraska is proud to be sponsoring the fourth-annual Spring Walk to School Day on April 20 to promote healthy, active lifestyles for children through safer routes to walk and bike to school. Across the state, schools and community groups are planning events where kids can meet and walk together along safe routes.

Program Spotlight: No Child Left on Their Behind and Boltage

No Child Left on Their Behind, which currently operates in 17 schools throughout 12 communities, has been coordinated by Public Health Solutions in Crete for the last three years. Program coordinator Natalie Kingston is thrilled with what the program has accomplished to date.

Zapping out Inactivity

One of NDOR’s award recipients, Public Health Solutions, has teamed up with Boltage on the “No Child Left on Their Behind” project, which currently operates in 17 schools throughout 12 communities for the last three years. Program coordinator Natalie Kingston is thrilled with what the Boltage program has accomplished to date. “The program has worked well in other parts of the country, so there was existing evidence of success,” said Natalie. “I was excited to be the first rural site in Nebraska selected to pilot Boltage.”

Boltage uses a special device, called Zap, which scans a tag placed on a child’s backpack or bike helmet to award points when a child has walked or biked to school. The children can then redeem their points for rewards. In addition to students, Natalie has reached out to teachers, parents, and the community. The sixth-grade art teacher, for example, helped students personalize their helmets. “Individuality and self-expression is important at this age,” Natalie said.

So far, Boltage has been well received in Beatrice. They have had 216 students sign on, and this is only the beginning. “Student involvement has been a critical component to the development of this program,” she said. “And we have made significant strides.”

Crete, NE: Overcoming Barrier of Distance to School

In 2009, the rural community of Crete, NE implemented a “No Child Left Inside” project to encourage kids and parents to get outdoors and move more, since long distances to school can make it hard for children to walk or bicycle to school. Crete Elementary School hosted two walk and bicycle to school days where college athletes and high school students safely walked kids to school from two locations. Students who rode the bus and had a parent’s permission were dropped off at one of the two walking school bus sites so they could join the walk to school. More than 200 students participated in the fall and spring events.

No Child Left on Their Behind – A Rural Community Project

Diane Epp, the No Child Left on Their Behind project developer and coordinator, has shown that there are many great ways to get creative with your Safe Routes program. She describes her program as an environmental, obesity, and safety intervention within the community. Diane integrates these three intervention components into all program activities.

The goal of the project was to create a supportive environment in five rural communities—Diller, Deshler, Exeter, Wilber, and Wymore—to increase physical activities and exercise in students and parents. Getting any program off the ground can be tough, and the support of the community is vital. One of the biggest obstacles in communities is the lack of sidewalks. Many students walk in the street because they don’t have a safer alternative. “Starting a program takes time and it doesn’t happen over night . . . work with the community and get feedback and thoughts instead of going in and calling the shots,” Diane said.

No Child Left on Their Behind is focused on kids’ health; however, it has also started to make an impact with the adult population. Diane talked about the program’s positive impact in the community. In particular, she mentioned a gentleman who lives one mile from the local coffee shop. “Now he walks each time to the coffee shop instead of driving. This program has impacted not only the students and parents but the entire community.”

People can’t actively participate in a program if they don’t know anything about it. The No Child Left on Their Behind program creates awareness by sending informational backpack mail and fliers to parents. The Diller/Odell communities even went as far as getting entire families involved with a walking challenge. The goal of the challenge was to have families walk together and document the time and distance spent walking. The winning family received a prize as an incentive to participate.

At the conclusion of their walking challenge program, the communities had an awards presentation involving the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s very own Lil’ Red and Cheer Squad. Lil’ Red and the Cheer Squad presented awards to the students in a gymnasium filled with community members, parents, and students. “It turned out to be a big event, thanks to the local committee’s hard work. There was such an air of excitement!” said Diane. The kindergarten class even participated by creatively using a paper chain to track walking activities since they did not have pedometers. Diane said, “Parents came up to me after the presentation expressing gratitude for the project and their appreciation for how it benefits their community.”

Contact:

Diane Epp
402-826-3880
diane@phsneb.org

Crete’s No Child Left Inside outstanding Walk to School Day event

Crete successfully encouraged approximately 650 students to participate in Walk to School Day. This event used walking school buses as a way for the students, parents, and volunteers to get excited and walk to school together. An astounding 142 volunteers met on a chilly October morning to assist with the Walk to School Day event.

Natalie Kingston helped to make sure that Safe Routes materials were printed in both English and Spanish to encourage support and participation from everyone in the Crete community. Getting the community on board with the event is just one of many steps. Natalie encourages programs that are putting together a Walk to School Day event to begin planning at least two months in advance to ensure all details are covered.

The health department recruited volunteers. The original target ratio was to have one volunteer to supervise five students. Volunteers included the Doane College men’s and women’s basketball teams, coaches, Crete High School students, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Crete High School TeamMates, the Crete Police, Gamma Phi Iota social sorority, and the National Honor Society.

During the Walk to School Day event, volunteers wore orange reflective vests at the drop-off points. Volunteers displayed safe walking behaviors and encouraged students to stop at intersections and look both ways before crossing the street. In addition, local law enforcement assisted by directing traffic at key intersections. The structure and organization of the event really gave parents peace of mind. Another way to make your event official is by spreading the word to gain support and build excitement within the community. Kids went home with stickers on their shirts that announced the date of Walk to School Day. This creative solution was implemented to reach the parents that don’t traditionally read school letters.

Contact:

Natalie Kingston
402-826-3880
natalie@phsneb.org

McCook, Nebraska: The Key Elements to A Successful SRTS Program

The southwestern Nebraska City of McCook received Safe Routes Nebraska funding for its Safe Routes program. The McCook program began by distributing educational materials to students and parents. Nutritional brochures were developed by working with the Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department. Informational brochures about the program for parents were also produced. And with the help of the police, a Safe Routes to School map for kids was created. “Police Chief Ike Brown will be doing a radio program with me,” said Principal Lynda Baumbach. “We work with them all the time about traffic patterns around our schools.”

The program even made its way into the school’s classrooms. Physical Education classes now include a nutrition component for kids in kindergarten through eighth grade. “Bringing PE teachers on board was easy,” said Baumbach. “We made them a part of our team. They are instrumental in making this program a success.”

The McCook program has worked hard to engage students. The primary effort to this end has been the giveaway of pedometers to all students in third through eighth grades. Students have been used the pedometers to track their steps throughout the month of March, with a prize going to the student who logged the most steps. “The PE teachers, classroom teachers, and parents are responsible for logging steps,” said Baumbach.

McCook held a Walk to School Day on March 26. The event was a huge success! The event received coverage from the local newspaper with an article and editorial on the benefits of walking to stay physically fit. The local radio station did an interview with Baumbach and the police chief about the program, running parts of it for the week prior to the Walk to School Day.

Clearly, one element of McCook’s success is the strategic partnerships the program leaders established. By working with the Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department, the local police, the PTO, teachers, and parents, McCook’s program leaders have created a wide net of resources they can continue to tap as they expand their program.

Contact:

Dr. Dennis Berry
McCook Public Schools
dberry@esu15.org
308-345-5422

Keep Kids Alive Drive 25

Keep Kids Alive Drive 25 has worked in partnership with Activate Omaha and with Sarpy-Cass County Safe Kids Coalition at Picotte, Highland, Rumsey Station, and Carriage Hill Elementary schools since 2006-2007. In addition, Keep Kids Alive Drive 25 has worked with dozens of schools/districts nationwide since 1999.

Keep Kids Alive Drive 25 has an initiative called, “Our Stop! Take 3 To See” that teaches children how to safely cross streets while walking to and from school (and at all other times as well). They also work to educate parents/drivers about the roles everyone plays in creating safe roadways for children and bicycle riders by virtue of driving behaviors. Their teaching initiatives towards drivers include Stop! Take 3 To See when it comes to observing Stop Signs and crosswalks, Be Aware! Drive With Care, and Keep Kids Alive Drive 25, which targets observing the speed limit in residential neighborhoods surrounding school zones.

Keep Kids Alive Drive 25 has been integrated into Safe Routes to School in Ridgewood, New Jersey, as well as in general school safety initiatives in the Friend, Elkhorn, Norfolk, Platteview-Springfield, Gretna, and Neleigh districts in Nebraska, Tri-Center District in Iowa, Fullerton and Harrison Elementary Schools in Omaha, Nebraska, Wayne and Shrewsbury, New Jersey and State College, Pennsylvania.

Their champions include schools, neighborhood organizations, law enforcement, public works, civic organizations and businesses in communities large and small representing 47 states plus the District of Columbia. Sponsors include Ford Motor Company Fund, GEICO Insurance, Wells Fargo Bank, UPS, Palisades/High Point/Teachers’ Insurance of New Jersey, and many local businesses as well.

Contact:

Tom Everson
Keep Kids Alive Drive 25
kkad25@kkad25.org

Lexington Community Fitness Initiative (CFI)

One of Nebraska’s most successful non-infrastructure programs is run by the Lexington Community Fitness Initiative (CFI). This program focuses on traffic enforcement and education near schools, student and parent education, creating awareness of the health problems caused by inactive living, and program personnel training.

Community crossing guards
“The largest success from this grant has definitely been the crossing guard program,” said Dana Steiner with CFI. “It has really had positive support.” By coordinating volunteer crossing guards at key intersections near the school, CFI has been able to create a safer walking environment. Each of the initial volunteers has been trained by a local police officer. And because the volunteers come from other concerned groups in the community, the program has sparked good word-of-mouth promotion as well as inter-organizational cooperation. “The program is communitywide so many of the volunteers are members of other groups in the community, so many know of the program and are supportive,” said Steiner. “All of the elementary schools have been supportive and cooperative in helping us to successfully implement this program.”

Getting students up and moving
CFI has also provided each elementary school child with a free pedometer to track success in the “Walk Across Nebraska” interschool challenge. “Each school has a game board that looks like the state of Nebraska,” said Steiner. Each class uses this board to track the progress of the student walkers. “The class that reaches its destination first wins.”

Public awareness and education
CFI has also been running newspaper and radio PSAs, submitting newspaper articles, posting flyers, and holding events to make the Lexington community aware of the importance of physical activity for children. The group has already hosted two forums for parents featuring expert speakers on Safe Routes topics such as nutrition and activity. Two more forums are planned for the spring semester.

Making it work
Lexington CFI has been successful because of its well-planned, multifaceted approach that targets students, parents, drivers, and the community at large. By earning the support of the community, the CFI Safe Routes program is poised for long-term success. “The community has been supportive about the implementation of this program,” said Steiner. “Just from our random counting and watching trends, it seems that the number of children [walking] did increase from the first week.”

Contact:

Dana Vehlin
308-324-5651

Nebraska Partner Affiliates

Find out which organizations in your state have pledged their support for the Safe Routes to School movement.