About

National Active School Streets Initiative (NASSI) creates temporary car-free spaces around schools - using physical barriers and signage - to make it safer and more comfortable for children and their families to walk or bike, rather than go by car, when travelling to and from school. In these spaces, children can play and socialize with friends, as well as be more physically active. NASSI takes place across Canada, and is a joint initiative which brings together multiple research institutions, non-profit organizations and community partners.

The School Streets initiative, the original model for the NASSI, began in Italy in 1990s as a way to address congestion and car traffic that were noticed during school drop-off and pick-up times. In Canada, it started in 2021 and has grown to include over 30 community partners across six Canadian provinces. The programs vary, from short pop-up events to one-year-long projects, depending on the contexts and needs of each community. NASSI is a collaborative initiative between Green Communities Canada, Toronto-based organization 8 80 Cities, the Centre d’écologie urbaine in Montreal, and the Society for Children and Youth of BC.

For more information on NASSI, please visit https://greencommunitiescanada.org/programs/school-streets/‍

NASSI is taking place between 2024 and 2027 in communities across the country. During this time, NASSI will be implemented and assessed in two Vancouver elementary schools, with the help of the City of Vancouver and the Vancouver School Board. By assessing the program, we will be able to learn how we can effectively expand it to other schools and communities.

Families of Participating Vancouver Elementary School: 

We are inviting children and parents/guardians of participating schools to share their thoughts and experiences about how they get to and from school and what they think about closing the street. This will be done through:  1) hands-up surveys,  2)parent/guardian online surveys, and  3) child group discussions.

 1.    Children in grades 1 and up

·      We will ask children to raise their hands in class to say how they got to school that day (hands-up surveys).

·      Children aged 8 and older can also join a group discussion.

2. Parents /Guardians Survey

·      Parents and guardians will be invited to fill out a survey online. The survey will also be available in French, Spanish, Mandarin, or Cantonese.

 Want to participate?

Email us at playoutside@bcchr.ca to receive the links for the parent survey and child group discussion consent form!

Note: Participation is strictly for families of children currently attending the participating Vancouver elementary school. If you are unsure, please email us or check with your child’s school.

 Want to know more?

We are hosting online information sessions for families to learn more about the NASSI study and how they can be involved. Come by and drop in on any of these dates and times!

1) Date: Thursday, May 1^st,2025

Time: Drop in anytime between 7:00pm-8:00pm

Location: Zoom (Please email playoutside@bcchr.ca for the link).

2) Date: Saturday, May 3^rd,2025

Time: Drop in anytime between 11:00am-12:00pm

Location: Zoom (Please email playoutside@bcchr.ca for the link)

Note: These sessions are strictly for families of children currently attending the participating Vancouver elementary school.

Funding information

National Active School Streets Initiative is funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Healthy Canadians and Communities Fund. In British Columbia, the program is additionally funded by the Government of British Columbia’s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, and is coordinated and led by Green Communities Canada and the Society for Children and Youth of BC.

Publications & Resources

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