STARS
Sustainable Travel Accreditation and Recognition for School
- IP: Palma Chillón
Summary
The STARS Project is an initiative with the aim to promote active commuting from home to school, both biking and walking, among young people in educational centers. In order to achieve this aim, it is intended to raise awareness among students about the use of active and sustainable commuting and the preservation of the environment as an individual responsibility.
The STARS Project was originally financed by the European Union. Given its success, a STARS Cities Network is currently being set up. In Spain, this Network is coordinated by the DGT (Spanish Directorate-General for Traffic), with the support of the CENEAM (National Center for Environmental Education). Granada has joined this initiative through the Provincial Council, being its advisors and executors several members of the PROFITH research group, from the University of Granada.
During this academic year (2017/18), the STARS Project is being developed in four secondary schools in the province of Granada: IES Aricel (Albolote), IES Clara Campoamor (Peligros), IES Blas Infante (Ogíjares), and IES Trevenque (La Zubia). The students involved in the Project were those in 3rd of ESO (third year of the Spanish compulsory secondary education) in each educational center. An active group was created in each center to develop active commuting campaigns and to promote the use of bicycles among the rest of their peers in the center. Such groups comprised between 8 and 10 volunteers, who were named ‘Youth Mobility Ambassadors’, and between 1 and 3 members of the center’s staff, who were named ‘Champions’.
The advisor team of the STARS Project, the executors hired as technical assistance and lead by PhD Palma Chillón, are currently conducting coordination and dynamization actions through the Ambassadors and Champions. They guide them in the design of their campaigns to promote active, by using ideas and solutions to persuade their peers to use the bicycle or other methods of sustainable commuting. They are helped and encouraged to link the use of the bicycle with topics such as health, safety, and the environment. In order to attend to the students’ interests, the Ambassadors have the support of the advisors, secondary schools, and the different departments of the municipality (mobility, education, youth...) in the decision of these actions. Different types of actions promoting active commuting are encouraged, such as improving road safety to the educational centers.
At the end of the academic year, there will be an award system for the secondary schools at three levels: bronze, silver, and gold, depending on the activities carried out by the educational community and the results obtained from measuring the change of the way to commute. The ultimate goal of this Project is to reduce the number of students who commute to school by car and increase by 5% the number of students who actively commute (cycling or walking). This achievement will contribute to improve children’s and adolescents’ health and well-being through exercise. In addition, it will contribute to increase their autonomy in relation to commuting and, ultimately, a more active and healthy municipality with less motorized traffic congestion.
Status
Period funded during the academic year 2017/2018.
Funding
This Project is funded by the Diputación de Granada.
The Project in the media
Videos
Organizers
- PROFITH research group
- University of Granada
- Diputación Provincial de Granada
- Spanish Directorate-General for Traffic
- Ayuntamiento de Albolote
- Ayuntamiento de La Zubia
- Ayuntamiento de Ogíjares
- Ayuntamiento de Peligros
