SFA, Healthy Nacogdoches Coalition announce Walk/Bike to School Day
September 22, 2011
Project "ALL Jacks Walk/Bike to School Day," designed to encourage SFA students, faculty and staff to walk or ride their bicyces to school will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 5, to promote physical activity in the community.
The Stephen F. Austin State University health science program is partnering with the Healthy Nacogdoches Coalition for a service-learning project called "ALL Jacks Walk/Bike to School Day."
This project is designed to encourage SFA students, faculty and staff to walk or ride their bicycles to school on Wednesday, Oct. 5, to promote physical activity in the community.
Dr. DawnElla Rust, SFA professor and health science program coordinator, is using the project to engage students in her environmental health class and identify the components of healthy communities. The project is based on figures that show mortality rates due to chronic diseases in Nacogdoches are significantly higher than the state average.
Health science students at SFA will have the opportunity to conduct research about the walkability and bikeability of the university community as a part of their class with Rust. The research will coincide with International Walk to School Day, which is an event started by the Partnership for a Walkable America.
"I have always loved service learning because it is about connecting concepts and principles with real-life experiences," Rust said.
Students and faculty and staff members who register and participate in the walk/bike day will have their names included in a drawing for door prizes such as water bottles and wrist ID sports bracelets. Registration is available on the Healthy Nacogdoches website at www.healthynacogdoches.org.
For more information, contact Rust at (936) 468-1495.