Toolkit

Why this toolkit?

This toolkit is to support and enable the delivery of ‘safe and healthy journey to school’ interventions. Each day millions of children worldwide face the risk of road traffic injury and are forced to breathe dangerously toxic air.

This unsafe environment is a major health threat to children on their daily journey to access education. Yet we have the solutions, the tools to combat road traffic injury and ensure our children breathe clean air. The solutions are readily available and affordable, bringing results that are measurable.

NGOs, international agencies, public authorities and their partners around the world will be able to find step by step guidance here to help implement the solutions. This toolkit supports a range of organisations aiming to create a safe environment for children, to protect them from air pollution and prevent child road traffic injury.

HOW TO USE THIS TOOLKIT

The toolkit is an introductory guide to help you to assess the current situation of roads and air pollution, design an appropriate intervention, and work with others to ensure a lasting impact.

The four sections are focused around major themes that are important to consider, and provide a summary of key information, real world examples and links to further information to explore. Each theme is divided into those that primarily focus on safety (and infrastructure changes), and those focusing on air pollution and emissions. Click to expand the drop downs and explore different areas which are most relevant to you.

GATHERING DATA

Reliable and accurate data is essential for delivering safe and healthy journeys to school. This toolkit section includes guidance on collecting robust data to assess safety and risk for children, rate road infrastructure around schools, set baselines, design programmes, and to conduct advocacy and campaigns.

DESIGN & IMPLEMENTATION

Once data is gathered and analysed, what options are there for improvements? Find out about a range of approaches developed to protect children, support safe walking and cycling, and reduce exposure to pollution, that have been successfully used in different countries, including low income communities.

COALITION BUILDING

Effective projects rely on partnership working across sectors – all partners are vital in capacity building, awareness raising and communication planning. Strong and long-term coalitions built on evidence and trust are important for empowerment and bringing about lasting change – for safer streets and for cleaner air.

SCALING UP IMPACT

We provide guidance on evaluating impact, which is key to sustaining improvements over the longer term and making the case for projects to be scaled-up and replicated elsewhere. What evidence do donors and international development agencies want to see? How can funding and ongoing commitment be secured with public authorities?

WHY THE JOURNEY TO SCHOOL?

The journey to school is an effective focus for programming, advocacy and political engagement.

Schools represent a hub for children, their families and the wider community. In order to effect change in communities and cities, to make the environment safer, there are few better places to start than schools. Also, the school journey is the main point at which children come into contact with their wider surroundings every single day. It is at this point that they are often most vulnerable. However, children should be protected from health threats so that they can grow, explore the world and access education without fear or danger. 

TOOLKIT IN ACTION WORLDWIDE

This toolkit is being put into practice around the world. This map highlights case studies of Child Health Initiative partners delivering interventions for safe and healthy journey to school. Find out how they are achieving results, building coalitions and overcoming challenges to protect child and adolescent health.