Mayo celebrates Walk to School Week 2021

MANY Mayo schools will take part in Green-Schools’ National Walk to School Week 2021, Ireland’s annual celebration of walking to school, which takes place from May 24 to 28 in schools across the country.

Following school closures in 2020, Walk to School Week is back with virtual and outdoor visits, online events and daily activities and resources for all schools to enjoy.

Schools will encourage students, their families, and teachers to walk to school next week and to focus on continuing to journey to school on foot into the summer months – and all year ‘round.

To celebrate walking and the new appreciation many of us are feeling for our surroundings during 2020 and 2021, Green-Schools is hosting four live online events with expert speakers.

Claire McDonald from Green-Schools will take schools on a journey to the summit of Kilimanjaro and back while Dr. Elaine Murtagh from the University of Limerick will talk about different – fun! – ways to walk and the impact of walking on our mental and physical health. Writer John G. O’Dwyer will join us to share his extensive knowledge about historic Irish pilgrim routes with schools; and to close the week on Friday, Ruth Whelan from Mountaineering Ireland will talk about hillwalking and happy hiking.

Green-Schools National Walk to School Week is one of the most important action awareness weeks in the school calendar and is the only one of its kind in Ireland which promotes active and sustainable travel on the journey to school.

Lukasz Krzywon, Green-Schools travel officer in Mayo, said: “We are excited to be back in touch with schools and focused on celebrating walking to school next week. As a nation we have rediscovered the joy of walking this past year – mindful walking, walking in nature and rediscovering our surroundings. The walk to school can also be rediscovered, elevated and enjoyed by everyone!”

Green-Schools is committed to promoting walking on the journey to school as the mode of choice for families. Every year we focus on helping schools to make promote walking to school and to assist them in making whatever changes are necessary to make walking the best choice for their students.

Find out more and register to attend online events at: https://greenschoolsireland.org/event/walk-to-school-week-2021/