The high school students who volunteer for the Safe Routes to Schools (SR2S) Youth Task Force care a lot about safety and the environment. We recently asked them about why they joined the Youth Task Force and how their attitudes about active transportation have changed since they were in elementary school. The two most common reasons they cited for getting involved were safety concerns or wanting to do something positive about climate change. They shared their inspiration through artwork and text.

This is part two of a two-part series. Read part one here.

Safety first

For some students, safety, including concerns about crime and about traffic violence, was a reason to get involved with the Youth Task Force (YTF). 

Ryan, from Encinal Jr. Sr. High School in Alameda, told us: “I’m motivated to do SR2S work because of the crime and danger that is prevalent in Alameda and the cities around Alameda, like Oakland. When I go to places like Oakland Chinatown with my family or even when I’m taking a walk by myself, it’s really sad to see so many harmful things around me — especially when children walk on those same sidewalks. Being able to create change for the people and students around me is something that’s motivating to me. When I was still in elementary school, the only thing that likely would have motivated me was money and YouTube screen time — which is a stark difference compared to now.”

Sammy, who also goes to Encinal Jr. Sr. High School, said: “I’m motivated to do SR2S because I constantly see how dangerous biking can be and that some bikers don’t know road rules. I’d like to educate students on road rules to keep them more safe on the streets. This differs from my elementary mindset because I was all about ‘save the world!’ and ‘don’t use a car to limit pollution.’ While I’m still very much for the delay of further global warming, I realize that I should focus on things that I can do to impact my community.”

Safety concerns span Alameda County. Claudia, a student at Tennyson High School in Hayward, joined YTF to “Make the environment for students safer. I hear students are concerned about walking to school, and I want to help students feel safe and secure in the environment they live in! I became more aware of this stuff in the beginning of high school.”

The Safe Routes to Schools programs run by Transform in Alameda County make students safer by teaching them how to safely walk, roll, and take transit to school. And the larger Safe Routes movement augments that safety with grants to cities to build biking and walking infrastructure that helps students get to school safely.

Saving the planet

Not surprisingly, environmental concerns motivate many students to join the YTF. For example, Soundharya, a Fremont student who goes to Irvington High School, participates because “a big part of student government is service, and I’ve been wanting a way to focus on environmental service, and this is a good way to do that!”

Youth are clear-eyed about the role that biking and walking play in combating climate change. Logan from Alameda High School in Alameda said, “What motivates me to do SR2S work is just trying to make biking better, and making public transportation better, and create a bigger community. I’d like them to be more acknowledged and utilized so we can help the planet!” And Marley-Marie, who goes to the Alameda Community Learning Center, told us, “The environment needs to be more healthy! I feel like for future generations, it’s not going to be great if we keep on going down the same road we are.”

Today’s high school students have been environmentalists from an early age. Jasmine, a student at Washington High School in Fremont, said, “I’ve always had an interest in the environment. In elementary school, I was in the organization that organized the bins (trash/compost/recycling). In high school, that morphed into more adaptive versions of how I can help the environment (like Safe Routes).” Another Washington High student, Ruhi, told us, “When I was in elementary school, I had a teacher who loved talking about the environment and about cars and the impact on the environment. I’ve always told my parents I want an electric car! In the morning, there is so much traffic that cars can’t even complete turns, which is why I joined Safe Routes.”

Amalia from Oakland Technical High School in Oakland recalled, “In elementary school, I used to bike to school every day. I think climate change and the environment were motivating factors back then. Now I have more experience with different types of transportation, and seeing the lack of quality in public transportation and biking, I want to make it better and easier for students in high school.” And another Oakland Tech student, Harper, noted, “In elementary school, I would have been more motivated by clean, non-carbon emissions transportation. I scootered to school as a kid. Now I have more experience with lots of different transportation options.”

The Youth Task Force members of today are the climate and transportation leaders of tomorrow. They inspire us every day with their creativity, dedication, and thoughtfulness.