Walkability Workshops Using GPS Set for May

Volunteers sought to participate in Kingston City School District-wide project aimed at creating safe streets

Become part of the solution. Help us make the streets of Kingston safe for walkers and bikers city wide! The Safe Routes to Schools and Parks committee of the Healthy Kingston for Kids project seeks volunteers for its GPS mapping teams, and will hold two workshops to teach youth and adult participants how to use GPS units and conduct walkability assessments in their neighborhood. Beginning this year, the volunteer corps of the committee will be mapping routes in a 2-mile radius around each school and park in the Kingston City Schools District. These maps will be used to encourage municipalities to fix the problems and to help them find the funding to do so. 

There will be two workshops to choose from:
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Forsyth Nature Center in Kingston
11:30am to 1:00pm.
Following the session, the participants will put their training knowledge to the test with a fun-filled GPS scavenger hunt from 1:30pm to 2:30pm. 

Friday, May 7
Hutton Park in Kingston
5:00p.m to 7:00pm.
Participants should register no later than April 29 for the May 1 workshop and no later than May 5 to participate in the May 7 workshop.

The workshops are FREE, but registrants are expected to use the knowledge gained to conduct at least one ½-mile walkability audit with GPS in a Kingston City School District neighborhood.  To register for the workshops or for more information, contact Kristen Wilson at 845-340-3990 or email kew67@cornell.edu .

Registration form can be downloaded by clicking on http://www.cceulster.org/2010%20Healthy%20Kingston%20GPS%20Mapping%20Registration%20Form.pdf

To read more about the pilot GPS Walkabilty walk visit our Kingston Safe Routes to Schools & Parks page on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Safe-Routes-to-Schools-and-Parks-in-Kingston/320319914057?ref=ts

Safe Routes to Schools and Parks Committee is working to make it safe and easy for children to walk and bike to school. Increasing physical activity is one way that can reduce childhood obesity. The aim of the Healthy Kingston for Kids Project is to reverse childhood. For more information about Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County’s community programs and events call 845-340-3990 or visit us online at www.cceulster.org or follow us on www.facebook.com