Background

How RBWTSD Began...

On November 14, 1960, at the tender age of six, Ruby Bridges became the first African American student to integrate into an elementary school in the South. Her simple but courageous act of showing up for school each day played an important part in the civil rights movement.

In May 2018, a group of fifth graders from Martin Elementary School in South San Francisco, California, learned about Ruby and asked their school board to pass a resolution making November 14 Ruby Bridges Day. The San Mateo County Office of Education Safe Routes to School team met with the students about making it a walk to school day and invited them to present this proposal to the San Mateo County Board of Education.

A resolution was passed endorsing November 14 as Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day in San Mateo County. The Safe Routes to School team invited other schools to join the Martin students in honoring Ruby’s courage by celebrating this walk to school day. Fourteen schools participated in 2018, 25 schools participated in 2019, 55 schools participated in 2020, over 50,000 people participated in 2021 and over 300,000 people walked in 2022! 

Photos from past RBWTSDs!

Safe Routes to School Mission: San Mateo County Safe Routes to School encourages and enables children to walk and bicycle to school by implementing projects and activities that improve the health, well-being, and safety of children, resulting in less traffic congestion and emissions caused by school-related travel.                             

www.smcoe.org/srts