OBER 2013 January 2015 Coordinator’s Corner IN THIS ISSUE … · 2019-06-27 · OBER 2013 w w w....
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OCTOBER 2013 www.vi rgi ni adot. org/ saferoutes 1 January 2015 IN THIS ISSUE • Coordinator’s Corner • Calendar • Crossing Guard Appreciation Day is February 11, 2015 • Non-Infrastructure Grants and Activities & Programs Plans • QuickStart Mini-grants • Walkabouts Coordinator’s Corner Happy New Year! I am writing to share some exciting Safe Routes to School funding opportunities to get the year started off right, and remind you about Crossing Guard Appreciation Day on February 11. VDOT has just announced another year of Non- Infrastructure Grant funding. These grants for amounts between $5,000 and $100,000 can be used to fund SRTS-related activities and programs, including a SRTS coordinator. More information about the application requirements is included below. Two other popular SRTS funding opportunities - the QuickStart Mini-grant program and the Walkabout Mini-grant program - are both continuing through the spring. Learn more about them and how to apply in the right hand column under the Calendar. I hope one or more of these opportunities is right for your Safe Routes to School program. Explore them each in more detail below and on the Virginia Safe Routes to School website. As always, please don’t hesitate to contact us via the hotline, 1-855-601-7787, or by email, info@virginiasrts. org if you have any questions. Lastly, please remember to nominate your crossing guard for Virginia’s Most Outstanding Crossing Guard Award by Monday, January 19. The winners will be announced on February 6, 2015. Are you looking for a unique way to honor your crossing guard in addition to nominating them for an award? Read more about the Prince William County Crossing Guard Bureau and their 50th Anniversary celebration below. Regards, Rob Williams Virginia SRTS Coordinator CALENDAR JANUARY 19: Outstanding Crossing Guard Nominations Close FEBRUARY 11: Crossing Guard Appreciation Day 12: QuickStart Mini-grant Application Due 28: Last day to submit Activities & Programs Plan for optional review MARCH 12: QuickStart Mini-grant Application Due 31:Non-InfrastructureGrantApplicationDue APRIL 9: QuickStart Mini-grant Application Due 22: Earth Day Let us know about SRTS events in your community! Click here to send your information so we can include it in our calendar.
Transcript of OBER 2013 January 2015 Coordinator’s Corner IN THIS ISSUE … · 2019-06-27 · OBER 2013 w w w....
OCTOBER 2013
www.virginiadot.org/saferoutes1
January 2015
IN THIS ISSUE
• Coordinator’sCorner• Calendar• CrossingGuardAppreciationDay
isFebruary11,2015• Non-InfrastructureGrantsand
Activities&ProgramsPlans• QuickStartMini-grants• Walkabouts
Coordinator’s CornerHappy New Year!IamwritingtosharesomeexcitingSafeRoutestoSchoolfundingopportunitiestogettheyearstartedoffright,andremindyouaboutCrossingGuardAppreciationDayonFebruary11.VDOThasjustannouncedanotheryearofNon-InfrastructureGrantfunding.Thesegrantsforamountsbetween$5,000and$100,000canbeusedtofundSRTS-relatedactivitiesandprograms,includingaSRTScoordinator.Moreinformationabouttheapplicationrequirementsisincludedbelow.TwootherpopularSRTSfundingopportunities-theQuickStartMini-grantprogramandtheWalkaboutMini-grantprogram-arebothcontinuingthroughthespring.LearnmoreaboutthemandhowtoapplyintherighthandcolumnundertheCalendar.IhopeoneormoreoftheseopportunitiesisrightforyourSafeRoutestoSchoolprogram.ExplorethemeachinmoredetailbelowandontheVirginiaSafeRoutestoSchoolwebsite.Asalways,pleasedon’thesitatetocontactusviathehotline,1-855-601-7787,orbyemail,[email protected].
Lastly,pleaseremembertonominateyourcrossingguardforVirginia’sMostOutstandingCrossingGuardAwardbyMonday, January 19.ThewinnerswillbeannouncedonFebruary6,2015.Areyoulookingforauniquewaytohonoryourcrossingguardinadditiontonominatingthemforanaward?ReadmoreaboutthePrinceWilliamCountyCrossingGuardBureauandtheir50thAnniversarycelebrationbelow.Regards,RobWilliamsVirginiaSRTSCoordinator
CalENdar
JANUARY19:OutstandingCrossingGuard
NominationsCloseFEBRUARY11:CrossingGuardAppreciationDay12:QuickStartMini-grantApplicationDue28:LastdaytosubmitActivities&
ProgramsPlanforoptionalreview
MARCH12:QuickStartMini-grantApplicationDue31:Non-InfrastructureGrantApplicationDue
APRIL9:QuickStartMini-grantApplicationDue22:EarthDay
LetusknowaboutSRTSeventsinyourcommunity!Clickheretosendyourinformationsowecanincludeitinourcalendar.
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Crossing Guard appreciation dayis February 11, 2015CrossingGuardAppreciationDayisastatewideeventdevotedtosaying‘thank you’ to those who helpstudents cross the street safely ontheirwaytoandfromschool.As part of the celebration, theVirginia SRTS Program sponsorsannualOutstandingCrossingGuardAwards. Do you know a crossingguard that deserves special recognition? Nominate himor her online before January 19, 2015. Winners will beannounced on February 6, 2015, to allow a few days forplanninganevent.
Checkout theCrossingGuardAppreciationDaywebpageto get ideas for your event, download flyer and postertemplates,andprintthankyoucardsthatstudents,parentsandadministratorscansign.
The Virginia SRTS Program has designated the secondWednesday of February as Crossing Guard AppreciationDay, butwe encourage schools and communities to plantheirowneventsonanydaythatworksforthem.
Forexample,thisyearthePrinceWilliamCountyCrossingGuardBureauiscelebratingits50thanniversarythroughoutthe spring with memorabilia displays, a CrossingGuardsNightOutataPotomacNationalsbaseballgame(completewithceremonialfirstpitch!)anda50thAnniversaryDinnerReception open to all of its former and current crossingguards.
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The Bureau started with just four crossing guards inManassasandhasgrownto89crossingguardsserving44schoolsthroughoutPrinceWilliamCountytoday.
2014
TheBureauestimatesithelped1.1millionstudentsperform28,232safecrossingsduringthe2013-2014schoolyear. Inaddition, the Crossing Guard Bureau conducted 310meetings with School Safety Patrol groups at schoolsthroughoutthedivision.TheSchoolSafetyPatrolprogramwasstartedbymembersoftheBureauinthelate1970’s.
1974
Special thanks to Lieutenant A. Marie Snyder and Sergeant Michelle Wheeler for providing the information and photos for this story.
Non-Infrastructure Grants and activities & Programs PlansWhat are Non-Infrastructure Grants and Activity & Program Plans?VDOT has just announced another year of Safe Routesto School Non-Infrastructure (Activities and Programs)Grants,withapplicationsduebyMarch31.Thesegrants,for amounts between $5,000 and $100,000 can be usedto fund education, encouragement, evaluation and
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enforcementprogramsrelatedtoSafeRoutestoSchool.The Non-Infrastructure Grant can also be used to funda SRTS coordinator. A SRTS Coordinator is a part- orfull-timeSRTS advocatewhoworkswith, orwithin, theschool division to promote and facilitateSafeRoutes toSchoolactivitiesataminimumofthreeschools.DetailedinformationabouteligibleapplicantsandactivitiescanbefoundintheVirginiaSRTSProgramGuidelines.How do I apply for a Non-Infrastructure Grant? ThefirststepistocompleteaSRTSActivities&ProgramsPlan(APP).TheAPPisthefirstphaseofanySRTSeffortandoutlinesaschoolorcommunity’sintentionsformakingtraveltoandfromschoolsaferandmoresustainable.It’sa greatway to organize programs, projects, and peoplein support of SRTS. Once complete, the Activities andProgramPlanalso servesasa legacydocument fornewpeoplebecomingpartoftheschool’sSRTSprogram.TheVirginiaAPP ReferenceGuide andTemplate, containingtherelevantinformationneededinordertocompleteanAPP,areavailableontheVirginiaSRTSwebsite.LTACs will once again be available to review your draftorfinalAPP. TheAPPshouldbesubmittedtoyourLTACviaemailbyFebruary28th.APPswillbereviewedastheyare received,buta responsewillbeprovidedwithin twoweeks of the request.Those received by February 28thwillbeguaranteeda responsebyMarch11th,and thosesubmittedwellinadvanceofthedeadlinewilllikelyhaveaquickerturnaroundtime.
Once yourAPP is complete, you will submit it throughour online grant application system as the first step inthe completion of your application. Please note thattheNon-InfrastructureGrantApplicationwill draw frominformation contained in the Activities and ProgramsPlan, but also requires detailed cost estimates for thesubmitted programs and activities. Applicants seekingfundingfora localcoordinatorwillalsoneedtodescribeher/hisintendedroleintheSRTSprogram.
ThegrantapplicationsystemwillbeopenforsubmissionsonMarch1.AllapplicationsmustbesubstantiallycompleteandsubmittedbyMarch31.
ImportantDates:• February 28:DeadlineforoptionalreviewofAPP• March 1:OnlineNon-InfrastructureGrantApplication
systemopensforsubmissions• March 31: Non-InfrastructureGrantApplicationDue
WherecanIfindmoreinformation?Please read the Virginia SRTS Program Guidelines andvisittheVDOTActivitiesandProgramsPlanwebpagefortheAPPtemplate,aFAQsheetandmoreinformation.
What is a QuickStart Mini-grant?QuickStartMini-grantsare$1,000grantsforschoolsthatareinterestedinfundingasmall(orlarge)SafeRoutestoSchoolactivity.ThesegrantsareeasytoapplyforandareagreatwaytostartupaSRTSprogram!
Walk to School Day at Cardinal Forest Elementary School , West Springfield
How can a QuickStart Mini-grant be used?QuickStartMini-grantsmay be used to fund a range ofactivities that encourage and enable children to safelywalkandbicycletoschool,includingactivitiesthat:Encouragesafewalking,bicycling,anddrivinghabits,Increasethenumberofstudentswalkingandbicyclingtoschool,andoccurwithin90daysofaward.
TheVirginiaSafeRoutes toSchool programencouragesapplicantstousethecreativityofstudentandadultleaderstoidentifyissuesandproposesafewalkingandbicyclingactivitiesthataddressthem.
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Bicycle Safety Program at Minnick Education Center, Harrisonburg
CheckouttheQuickStartMini-grantswebpagetoseealistofeligibleitemsandlearnmoreabouttheactivitiesfundedtodate.
When and where can I apply for a QuickStart Mini-grant?Theupcomingspring2015duedatesare:
• February 12• March 12• April 9
However,applicationsareevaluatedintheordertheyarereceived(hint:applyearly!)YoucanapplyforaQuickStartMini-grantonlinethroughthislink.
WalkaboutsWhat is a Walkabout?AWalkabout is awalking andbicycling audit led by theLocal Technical Assistance Coordinator (LTAC) servingyourregion.ApplyingforaWalkaboutMini-grantisagreatwaytobringtogetherschoolandcommunitystakeholdersto learn about the walking and bicycling environmentaroundaschool,shareperspectives,buildconsensusandstartidentifyingpotentialsolutions.
SchoolsthatparticipateinWalkaboutsreceiveaWalkaboutReportthatincludesphotosoftheareaaroundtheschool,an overview of walking and bicycling conditions, anddescriptions of locations for improvements. Planninglevel cost estimatesmay also be included in the reportif the applicant intends to apply for a specific fundingopportunitysuchasaTAPgrant.
Grant applications for SRTS-related infrastructureprojects have been submitted for November 2013 and2014TAPgrantcycles.TwoofthefourVirginiaschoolsthatparticipatedinaWalkaboutandappliedforTAPgrantsinNovember 2013 were tentatively allocated funding forfiscalyear2015toimprovetheinfrastructurearoundtheirschools.
• Rocky Gap Elementary School, in partnership withBlandCounty, applied for aTAP grant to fund newsidewalksontheroadclosesttotheschool,connectingto the other edge of town. In addition to adding asidewalk,thisprojectwillbepartofthetown’splanforanewshared-usegreenway.
• Jackson Via Elementary School,alongwiththeCityof Charlottesville, applied for a TAP grant to buildbicycle and pedestrian improvements including bikelanes,crosswalks,curb ramps,andnewsidewalks tofillingapsintheexistingnetwork.
Participants during a Walkabout at Walker Upper Elementary School, Charlottesville
Wow, I think my school would really benefit from aWalkabout. What should I do next?You can see a sample report and learn more aboutWalkabouts on the School Travel Plans and Grantswebpage.
ThereyouwillalsofindthelinktoapplyforaWalkaboutMini-grantonline.ApplynowtobeeligibleforoneofthreeWalkaboutsthisspring!
