A whopping 582 students at Hilltop School joined the Wednesday Challenge this week, arriving by bike, scooter, roller-skates, on foot – and even on horseback! (a well-prepared parent followed the horses with a pooper scooper).
One student skipped their way to the school gate.
Ka rawe to the students, whānau, teachers and everyone who helped make the day such a success and have contributed to a huge shift in the way kids get to school.
The Wednesday and Weekday Challenge is all about swapping the car for healthier, more sustainable ways to travel. It’s good for wellbeing, great for the environment and helps reduce congestion and improve safety around the school gate. Participants log their trips online, with a live dashboard tracking the number of journeys.
Small changes really do add up – over one million journeys have now been logged across New Zealand, with the first Australian participants joining this month.
Hilltop School started the Wednesday Challenge with 65 percent travelling to school by single-household car and 35 percent of students using sustainable modes. On Wednesday, 62 percent used sustainable modes, with just 38 percent coming by car.
The Challenge is open to businesses too. In total there are 66 schools – including Hilltop and Waipāhīhī schools in the Taupō District – 172 businesses, and more than 34,000 people taking part in the challenges each week, all helping communities rethink the way they travel.
Could your school, or business, take on the Challenge next?
Learn more and find out how to get involved on the Wednesday Challenge website.
