Red Oak, IA – Walking School Buses and Afterschool Programs will kick off on Wednesday, April 5th for youth in Red Oak. The Walking School Bus program is available to youth enrolled in 4th – 8th grades. The program is coordinated and organized Live Well Montgomery County in partnership with SWCC, ISU Extension and Outreach, Red Oak Library and Questers-Calendar Girls 1254 with the goal to educate and encourage youth to move.

A walking school bus is a group of children walking from school with adult volunteers to an afterschool program. Walking School Buses are fun for youth of all ages and provide the exercise they need to develop healthy habits and engage in afterschool enrichment.

Walking School Buses will start at both Washington Intermediate School and the Red Oak Middle School. Youth will be walked to an afterschool program of their choice for duration of the 6-week program on Wednesday early outs from April 5th through May 10th. Three afterschool programs include Literacy at the Red Oak Library (hosted by Red Oak Library and Questers-Calendar Girls 1254), Wellness at the YMCA (hosted by MCMH and the YMCA) and Career Exploration at the Gold Fair Building (hosted by SWCC and ISU Extension and Outreach).

The program is free for participants. Afterschool programs will be capped at twenty participants per program. Activities will be cancelled if inclement weather occurs. Volunteers will meet the students’ afterschool at 1:00 PM and walk students to the afterschool program. Parents are required to pick up youth at the afterschool program location no later than 3:15 PM.

Registration forms have been sent home through the school with youth in 4-8th grades. Registration forms are due to the school secretary no later than March 15 at 1:00 PM. Registration forms are also available at the Montgomery County Extension office at 400 Bridge Street, Ste. 2 in Red Oak, Iowa and online at www.extension.iastate.edu/montgomery.

For questions, please contact Ashley Peterson at Montgomery County Memorial Hospital at 712-623-6462, Kattie Lewis at SWCC at 712-623-2541 or Chelsea Cousins at ISU Extension and Outreach at 712-623-2592.