First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” initiative is no longer limited to the classroom — now she’s using it to take over school transportation as well.
During her remarks to a group of mayors at the White House last week, Obama promoted the concept of a “walking school bus” — a group of children who walk to school together with adults.
“I’ve heard more and more of this kind of walking school bus happening all over the country — so that kids can get exercise on the way to school, kind of like we did when we were growing up,” Obama said.
She added that a program like the “walking school bus,” which is run in cooperation with the Department of Transportation, the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center and the Partnership for a Walkable America, is exactly what “Let’s Move!” is about.
“It’s about people all across this country coming together to take action to support the health of our kids,” she said.. “We’ve seen it happen in cities, towns and rural areas across the United States.”
Obama singled out schools in Knox County, Tenn., for helping come up with the idea of the “walking school bus.” According to the program’s website, it has also spread to North Carolina and Vermont.
“You remember the miles of walking you did with a sweet potato in your pocket?” Obama asked. “We all heard that story. My mother repeated it just yesterday. And that’s what Let’s Move! is all about. That’s what we’re really trying to do here.”
The First Lady’s promotion of the “walking school bus” program isn’t the only time she’s tried to encourage walking as a bigger part of students’ lives. In 2010, Obama praised International Walk to School Day as a good way for students to get the daily 60 minutes of physical activity recommended by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
