Sidewalks across Fort Worth will be filled with students walking to school throughout October—in celebration of International Walk to School Month and Walk to School Day, Oct. 6. And they won’t go it alone. Parents, faculty and other supporters are leading Walking School Bus efforts across the city to encourage students to move naturally and get their day off to a good start. The effort is supported by Blue Zones Project, a community-led initiative to make healthy choices easier where we live, work, play, and go to school.

Did you know that thirty years ago, 60 percent of children living within a two-mile radius of school either walked or bicycled to and from school? Today, less than 15 percent of children do so. As children get less physical activity, their chances of obesity increase while cognitive skills, attitude, and academic performance decrease.