By Isle of Wight Observer
Island pupils are tracking their journeys to school with a new free touch screen travel mode app.
Students are asked to log their journeys to and from school on an interactive app screen at their school to help encourage sustainable travel.
The app allows pupils to log the mode in which they travelled, whether by car, bike, scooter or on foot as well as tracking what the weather was like on the day.
The simple, interactive app has been developed by Wight Cycle Training, as part of the ‘Shift-It’ project being delivered to schools on behalf of Isle of Wight Council, to promote active sustainable travel to and from school.
Ross Edmunds, Shift-It project manager, said: “Children’s health is at the top of our list and this app will help engage children in persuading their parents to choose a more sustainable way to get to school. Of course, we also know that exercise can also help improve emotional wellbeing, so I really hope more schools join up to use the app we have developed and see the benefits.”
Schools that have signed up to the app will be able to track the volume of sustainable journeys and if the weather has a bearing on what travel modes are used.
Lindsey Stapeley, teacher at Bembridge Primary School, said: “Bembridge Primary have been working with the Shift-It project for nearly two years now and we have been using their touchscreen app to record journeys. Since using the app, we have found that the children are more engaged with their journey to school and really want to travel more actively.
“This has seen our numbers of children and parents travelling actively increase significantly. Bembridge Primary strongly believe in the ‘Healthy Body, Healthy Mind’ philosophy. We would recommend getting involved with the Shift-It project to help you promote the benefits of travelling sustainably and actively.”
Cabinet member for infrastructure and public transport, Councillor Ian Ward, said: “I would encourage schools to join the others that are already benefitting from using this app. Positive actions like simply walking to school with your children can really have an effect on attention levels and energy at school and of course, getting out of the car and on foot or cycle is a much more enjoyable way of travelling with their children.”
More information about the ‘Shift It’ project can be found at https://wightcycletraining.co.uk/shift-it-sustainable-travel
If you are a school interested in using the app, please contact Ross Edmunds, Shift It schools project manager at ross@wightcycle.co.uk
