Now Hiring: Active Transportation Policy Fellow - Greater Washington DC for the Safe Routes to School National Partnership

Applications Due: Wednesday, April 24, 2013 by 12 p.m. ET

The Safe Routes to School National Partnership (National Partnership) is seeking a professional and detail-oriented candidate with experience in bicycle and pedestrian advocacy or policy to join the National Partnership as the Greater Washington DC Active Transportation Fellow. This is a temporary, contract position.

The Active Transportation Fellow will work with the Regional Network Manager and Greater Washington DC Regional Policy Manager to advocate for improved transportation funding allocations and policies for Safe Routes to School, Complete Streets and walking and bicycling. Please review the scope of work for the position for detailed information and application instructions.

Required qualifications for the Greater Washington DC Active Transportation Policy Fellow include: demonstrated experience in social media; student work or personal work in bicycle and pedestrian advocacy or policy; knowledge of Safe Routes to School and/or Complete Streets; ability to write case studies, participate in work groups and present to a variety of audiences; self-starter; detail-oriented; proficient with social media such as Twitter, Facebook and Wordpress, PCs and with MS Office software. The successful candidate will work from their home office with their own personal computer, internet access and telephone. Candidate must be able to attend meetings throughout the region, some of which are not Metro accessible. 

The final deadline for applications is Wednesday, April 24, 2013 by 12:00 p.m. ET.  Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, so candidates are encouraged to apply early.  Telephone inquiries are not accepted.

We look forward to hearing from qualified candidates interested in joining our dynamic, visionary and growing non-profit.

The Safe Routes to School National Partnership was founded in 2005 and is a network of more than 600 organizations. The National Partnership mission is to advocate for safe walking and bicycling to and from schools, and in daily life, to improve the health and well-being of America’s children and to foster the creation of livable, sustainable communities.  The Safe Routes to School National Partnership is hosted by the nonprofit Bikes Belong Foundation which is an equal opportunity employer.

Bikes Belong Foundation is an equal opportunity employer

Please forward this announcement to prospective candidates!  Thank you.

Childhood obesity has tripled in the United States over the past 40 years, with nearly one third of children and teens in the United States overweight or obese. The epidemic is related to the fact that, even though studies show that regular physical activity promotes important health benefits and reduces risk for obesity, most communities have not prioritized built environment policies that support physical activity. As a result, many children do not have the opportunity to engage in
adequate physical activity each day.

One way to increase physical activity opportunities is to increase access to recreational facilities. Historically, schools have had a variety of recreational facilities, such as gymnasiums, playgrounds, fields, courts, and tracks. However, most of these schools close their property to the public during non-school hours, such as weekends, holidays, summer break, and before and after school, because of concerns about costs, vandalism, security, maintenance, and liability in the event of injury. Unfortunately, these concerns can have a huge effect on health, as access to recreational facilities is associated with lower body mass index among children and increased physical activity among adults. Luckily, shared use (or joint use) agreements have become a popular strategy for addressing these concerns while also creating built environment policies that encourage partnerships and support healthy lifestyles.

Click here to download the resource: Addressing Childhood Obesity Through Shared Recreational Facilities (Safe Routes to School National Partnership, 2013).