(Spencer)– The IWALK project held earlier this month in Spencer is being deemed as one of the first such projects in the nation.
Volunteers canvassed a one mile radius of Johnson School, which also encompassed Sacred Heart and Lincoln School and a portion of Fairview near the Spencer Hospital. They spent the day June 8th using GPS devices to map various routes to and from the schools and any special challenges or obstacles that were present. Surveys of teachers, students and parents were also used in the process.
The data has since been relayed to researchers with the Iowa Department of Public Health and Iowa State University which will share it with the community during a forum to be held August 29th at 12 Noon in the Maple Room in the lower level of Spencer Hospital.
Spencer was one of 12 communities in Iowa chosen to participate in the I-Walk project, which was made possible through a grant awarded to Spencer Hospital and its Community Health Services, who partners with the Safe Routes To Schools program.
