How to run an event at your school

We’ve found one of the best ways to raise awareness and achieve long term increases in walking, scooting, skating or bike riding to school is to host a one off event or even better, a regular active travel day to promote different ways of getting to school other than by car.

Events are fun ways to raise awareness about the benefits of walking and riding to school. They can also help strengthen school community spirit. Your school’s Champion and Your Move student team and are going to be essential to coordinating the event and keeping it going long-term.

For more a more detailed 'How to' document and for other downloads like a 'Parent pledge activity' to help make your event day even better, scroll to the bottom of this page.

Steps to start planning your event

Set a date

Ask the Principal which dates and times would suit best so your event doesn’t clash with other school events like NAPLAN, sports days, swimming lessons or report writing.

Choose a weekday least complicated by other events such as music lessons or sports classes.

Create a student team

Ask the Principal for approval to set up a Your Move Student Team, to lighten teachers’ loads and provide students with teamwork and leadership opportunities.

Identify some rewards

What incentives could encourage students to participate?

Stamps, stickers or tattoos are a fun and easy way to celebrate active students on their arrival at school gates, as are Star cards and classroom tick charts.
Random raffle ticket days could surprise dedicated students and stir excitement for an end of term prize from the Your Move rewards collection.
Utilise existing reward systems such as faction points.

Event plan

Allocate tasks to team members for before, during and after “Move” days.
How will you promote the day? E.g. Student designed posters, PA announcements, newsletter articles, website content, social media, assembly, P+C, local newspaper or new families pack.
Impress your Principal with your great ideas and secure their approval.

Promotion

Check the timing for school newsletter submissions and add dates to your Event Plan. Aim for a flyer home and a newsletter item in the fortnight and the week before the event.
Put up posters around the school – on noticeboards, outside classrooms, the library, school office, etc. Get the Your Move Student Team designing!
Use staff meetings and the school’s intranet to tell teachers about the event. Why are you supporting it and why is it of interest to others? Offer teachers some active travel curriculum-based activities to do with their students.

Event day

When team and volunteers arrive, clarify their roles and timing.
Run a ‘Hands up Survey’ in each class to see the numbers of students who walked or rode to school on event day – to compare any changes. Give data collectors hands-up survey forms (one for each class), pencils and clipboards.
Run a ‘Parent pledge’ activity - encourage parents to make a commitment to change their behaviour regarding transport issues around the school. It could be to increase walking, scooting and riding, or decrease speeding, idling and parking on verges.
Take photos of smiling faces, activities, dress-ups, school carparks, footpaths, bike racks, students and families – to compare to those taken on the ‘normal’ day.
Make sure everyone helps pack up and leaves the space as you found it.

After the event

Measure your success. Compare data and photos taken on the event day to a ‘normal’ day.
Promote your success. Add a note to the school notice board and/or newsletter highlighting what’s possible, plus any media coverage of the event. Reiterate key messages and recount the fun things achieved through the event and thank everyone for participating. Add links to any blogs or photos you post.
Celebrate your success with the team. Thank volunteers and Your Move team members for their efforts. Ask for their feedback on what went well, what didn’t and how any future events could be improved.
Thank local businesses - for their help, involvement and donations. You may want to send them a letter or certificate of appreciation.
Make sure you post a story with information, lessons learnt and photos about the event on the 'Create story' page.

Menu