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i Save the World

i Save the World at Papamoa School is an innovative and dynamic programme that delivers safety messages to children and inspires parents and children to bike, bus or walk to school. It creatively packages a wide range of educational content that makes learning fun, exciting and entertaining, while also reducing injurys and promoting environmentally friendly actions.

A Council provided school safety upgrade left the school with 50% fewer parking spaces, so a programme was required to get parents and children to use other transport options and to bring safety into their everyday consciousness. Each week, children participating in the programme travel to school by ‘world saving actions’ (walking, bussing or biking). Using world travel as a theme, kids travel to school while learning about countries and children of the world. Each child registered receives a passport booklet, interactive geographic map, flag stickers, character guide card and lanyard, with badges being used as incentives as the students fill their passports with stamps.

The response was amazing and the results dramatic: it reduced the number of cars by 37%; it increased the number of kids who walk to school by 196%, kids on bus by 55%, and kids who bike by 45%. 351 kids participate (more than 65% of the entire school). The programme has kids, parents and the wider community engaged and inspired.

i Save the World won Highly Commended award in the Emerging Community Safety and/or Injury Prevention Initiative or Programme category at this years Injury Prevention Safety awards. Earlier in the year they also won the top prize in the education category of this year's New Zealand Road Safety Innovation and Achievement Awards.