With March Break around the corner, many Grade 8 students find themselves in a tricky spot. They are too young for a part-time job, yet a little old for the many March Break day camps geared towards younger children.
For parents and guardians, it can be a challenge to balance work responsibilities with the increasing independence sought by growing children during the break. With screen time being a less-than-ideal option, what are the alternatives?
Grade 8 Transit Quest offers a solution through the distribution of free Peterborough Transit passes to all Grade 8 students within the City of Peterborough for March Break, which this year falls between March 7 and 16. Participants also receive a destination passport featuring a collection of free or discounted activities from local supporting businesses that encourage exploration of the city.
Led by GreenUP and its partners in the program Active School Travel Peterborough, Grade 8 Transit Quest offers an opportunity to embrace sustainable and independent mobility by becoming familiar and comfortable with public transit at a pivotal age.
Removing the necessity of the parent chauffeur also prepares youth to seek employment and volunteer opportunities independently as they move into high school.
“I have promoted the use of the March Break pass since (the program) began,” says Mariza Zister, Grade 8 teacher at St. Alphonsus Catholic Elementary School. “I think it’s a great way to push students out of their comfort zone and have some independence for that week. Some will ride (transit during) high school and post-secondary, so it’s an awesome and practical life skill to have.”
Whether youth wish to check out an art exhibit, do a scavenger hunt, or participate in a murder mystery, there is something for everyone.
Participating destinations include The Boardwalk Lounge, Lift Lock Escape and Board Game Cafe, Zap Attack Laser Tag, Busy Brushes Pottery Painting, Peterborough Sport & Wellness Centre, Peterborough Public Library, the YMCA, Peterborough Museum & Archives, and the Art Gallery of Peterborough.
New destinations added to the passport this year include Talize and the Canadian Canoe Museum, at its new location on Ashburnham Drive.
After a promising pilot in 2024, the Grade 8 Transit Quest program was expanded to include a series of transit orientation workshops for Grade 8 classes, which were delivered in the last two weeks of February.
To facilitate these workshops, a transit bus is deployed to local schools, where Grade 8 students learned about using transit in a low-pressure environment.
The orientation covered topics including boarding the bus, accessibility features, route planning, using a transfer, rider etiquette, safety, and more.
This educational enhancement to the Grade 8 Transit Quest program was developed, in part, from student feedback.
Armed with hands-on knowledge to ride with confidence, both students and teachers feel more prepared to participate.
“This workshop informed me of some changes to Peterborough Transit that I was not aware of, which made me feel more prepared to help my students,” says Amanda Glazer-Wright, a participating teacher from Kaawaate East City Public School.
Adolescence is an ideal time to encourage young residents to become familiar and comfortable with public transit. A 2018 study of youth transit users in Kingston suggests public transit provides a meaningful alternative mode of transportation for youth and influences behavioural change for a more sustainable future.
Public transit promotes safe travel and encourages healthier lifestyles by integrating physical activity into daily routines. Transit users attain a significant portion of their recommended daily physical activity through commuting, even with just a short trip to a bus stop.
Those who use transit also tend to walk or bike more often, leading to increased quality of life and lower stress.
Public transportation not only benefits youth but also the environment, by curbing air pollution and traffic congestion.
Transportation emissions often account for up to 30 per cent of a personal carbon footprint, and an even bigger portion of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. Transit users are essentially participating in a large carpool, taking up less space on the roads and lowering their personal emissions.
Not only does this equate to cleaner air for everyone, but with fewer cars on our roads, streets are safer for all road users.
Together, we can foster a generation of environmentally responsible and empowered young commuters.
Active School Travel Peterborough is made of up a committee of stakeholders from the City and County of Peterborough, the Peterborough, Victoria, Northumberland and Clarington Catholic School Board, Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, Student Transportation Service of Central Ontario, and the Crossing Guards of Peterborough. The committee and its programs are administered by GreenUP on behalf on the City of Peterborough.
For more information about Grade 8 Transit Quest, visit greenup.on.ca/grade-8-transit-quest/ or reach out to Ashley Burnie Seeds, GreenUP active transportation program coordinator, at ashley.burnie@greenup.on.ca.
