idle free at your school resources and ideas for making your school an idle free campus this...

Idle Free at Your SchoolResources and Ideas for Making Your School an Idle Free Campus

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• In 2009, Governor Herbert declared September “Idle Free Awareness Month”

•Collaboration of State, municipal, and private organizations working to reduce vehicle idling time across the state

•More than 200 elementary schools have participated

•Schools work to educate parents and bus drivers about the impacts of idling

State Resources idlefree.utah.gov

•www.idlefree.utah.gov

• Online Campaign toolkit

• Idling facts and impacts information

State Resources idlefree.utah.gov

•Idle Free Brochure▫A printable pdf, helps parents and school

bus drivers understand the purpose of the Idle Free Campaign

State Resources idlefree.utah.gov

•Idle Free logo and poster

▫Available from Utah Clean Cities office in the Salt Lake City & County building

▫Call Irene Rizza, 801-535-7736irene.rizza@utahcleancities.org  

State Resources idlefree.utah.gov

• Sample school news article

• MP3 “Don’t Idle” jingle

Putting it into action

•How do I turn this into a successful Idle Free Awareness campaign at my school?

Week-long event with a year-round emphasisAir quality is a year-round issue:

Idle Free Awareness Week teaches students about our air and why it’s important (can be held in the fall)

During the winter months, poor air quality sometimes keeps students indoors during recess Use this event as an opportunity to organize parent-

volunteers to help during the stay-in recess days In the spring and summer months, ozone is an

issue You can save the posters from this event and hold a

“reminder rally” in the spring

Putting it into action

1. Meet with the principal▫ History of the state-wide campaign and

available resources▫ Relevance to student health▫ Opportunity to engage the school

community▫ Possible ‘Green Schools’ project (through

USEE)2. Find an available week on the school

calendar

Putting it into action

3. Then, build a committee from existing, active groups at your school

▫ PTA▫ School Community Council▫ Faculty and/or student Green Team

Idle Free Committee Tasks:•Decide on your week’s events—get

creative!•Divide the 6 main responsibilities

1. Contact Utah Clean Cities to obtain “Turn Your Key, Be Idle Free” decals and metal signs for your school before the event

Idle Free Committee Tasks:

•Divide responsibilities2. Create the

event flier and contact the district for press

coverage The district has a

press liaison who can send a press release

Idle Free Committee Tasks:

•Divide responsibilities3. Who will present at the assembly

One of you, or will you arrange for a guest speaker?

Is there a 5th or 6th grade class that would like to write a song or present a skit at the assembly?

Idle Free Committee Tasks:

4. Organize the poster-making party Are materials available through school, or

will they need to be collected/donated? Solicit volunteers from local high-school to

help students create their posters and help clean up after

Make sure names and class room # is on every poster’s back

Idle Free Committee Tasks:

•Divide responsibilities5. Organize the rally

Will students need parent permission to participate?

Distribute posters to classrooms before rally Extra volunteers keep it organized and safe Be ready for the media

6. Conduct a post-event wrap-up How to sustain it Lessons learned for next year

Breathe Utah’s Idle Free resources•Idle Free Assembly

▫PowerPoint from Breathe Utah teaches kids: the science of air quality how our it effects their

health what they (and their

families) can do to help pollute less while protecting their health

Breathe Utah’s Idle Free resources

•“Idling Gets You Nowhere” ¼ sheet flier▫ Parent volunteers can hand out

at rally to drivers ▫ www.breatheutah.org/air-

resources

Breathe Utah’s Idle Free resources

•“Idle Free Awareness Week flier sample (Word doc)▫ www.breatheutah.org/air-

resources

Breathe Utah’s Idle Free resources

•Emergency Air Quality Plan▫ Printable version or online▫ Great take-home action for

families to prepare for poor air quality together

▫ www.breatheutah.org/air-resources

More Ideas•Poster-making party

▫Students create their own “Turn your key” inspired posters for the rally

▫Invite the media▫Collaborate with a local

high-school art or service class: invite them to help your students create their posters and to help clean up after

More Ideas•Red-Air Day sign up

options▫Ask what class/grade▫Collect emails▫Create a listserv ▫Collect cell number

and provider from volunteers for text alerts

More Ideas•Plan ahead for a

springtime rally▫Collect signs after first

rally▫Plan another sign-

making party ▫Utilize

breatheutah.org/resources info on ozone and summertime health

More Ideas•Tie balloons on the

“Turn Your Key” signs posted around pick-up areas

•Hold an Idle Free poster contest

•Hang rally signs in school hallways between poster party and rally

•Encourage “walking school buses”

More Ideas•Reward drivers (buses,

too!) who are not idling•Supply the principal

with a list of air quality facts to incorporate into daily announcements that week

•Use your Idle Free Week as a Green Schools project

Let us know! breathe@breatheutah.org•Share your school’s story with us•Tell us what worked, what you’d do

different, and how we can help