Students in Steamboat Springs, Colorado Commute to School the Green Way (Hardwear Sessions)

By Paige Boucher

Steamboat Springs, Colorado, is still a real town. Sure we have a world class ski resort, amazing mountain bike trails and lots of attractions for tourists. But we also have normal families with kids. We love our kids and we want them to have every opportunity and grow up to be healthy, happy and successful just like in your town. I'm the mom of one of those privileged kids.

I'm also gravely concerned about how my community and our society and the world at large are all using way too much fossil fuel. So I joined the mom's Green Team at my kid's school, Strawberry Park Elementary. We're working on changing to green cleaning supplies and reusable lunch trays but the thing that I really wanted to see change is the ridiculously long line of idling cars picking up or dropping off one or two kids before and after school each day.

So we started a contest and we challenged the kids to become Green Commuters during fourth quarter. A Green Commuter rides the bus, walks, rides a bike, or car pools with at least three students or teachers in the car. We solicited all the local kid hot spots and our favorite outdoor gear companies for prizes. Big Agnes gave camping pads, the Steamboat Ski Resort gave passes to the Adventure Zone climbing wall and bungee jump, the Winter Sports Club gave us Howler Alpine Slide tickets, Mountain Hardwear gave day packs (OK, I work for Mountain Hardwear so I had some pull) and many other generous supporters gave us swag or cash for T-shirts. We promised every kid who Green Commuted at least 75% of the time a T-shirt and the top classes would win the prizes. The kids were psyched!

We made each class a chart to keep track of their progress. My kid's teacher used it as a graphing exercise. Immediately we heard that the bus drivers had to consolidate kids in the seats to fit more on. I heard about one kid who missed the bus and would not accept a ride from his parents. At the mid way point we realized we needed to raise more funds because so many kids were on their way to earning a T-shirt.

As the weather got warmer, kids discovered Butcher Knife trail that meanders to school along a sweet creek. What a great way to start and end the day for the kids and us parents who accompanied the kids on bikes or walking. The bike racks were filled to capacity and over flowing. During the last week of school it snowed and my kid rode her bike anyway. Yep, I'm a proud mom.

The contest was a real success. 280 kids out of 480 Green Commuted and earned their Green Kid T-shirt. We plan to start the Green Commuting incentive program up again in the fall so we don't loose momentum. And when the snow flies I want to pack a ski trail along Butcher Knife. How cool to grow up in a town where you can ski to school!