BOSTON, MA – June 8, 2023 – The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), through the Massachusetts Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program, held its annual awards ceremony today to recognize the Program’s partner schools – including the four schools that make up the Spencer-East Brookfield Regional School Distrct – community champions, stakeholders, and Crossing Guards who have made significant contributions within their communities by strengthening, promoting, and improving safety for students walking, biking, and rolling to school.
“MassDOT is pleased to have this opportunity to recognize and thank individuals, school staff and members of school communities for all of their exemplary work and continued dedicated efforts in helping to keep students and families safe within school communities throughout the Commonwealth,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Gina Fiandaca. “The awards highlight all of the thoughtful planning, coordinating and collaborating that has been undertaken to identify new Safe Routes to School initiatives, resources and tools that reinforce the importance of being safe while walking, biking, or rolling to school.”
The Safe Routes to School awards are open to all school and alliance partners. This year’s Awards Ceremony honored 217 schools across the Commonwealth that completed SRTS activities and events qualifying them for partner level awards of Basic, Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Awards for Exemplary Program were presented to four schools and the Community Collaboration and Nikki Tishler Memorial awards were announced.
For the third year, the program recognized the important role Crossing Guards have in supporting families’ safety as they access schools and neighborhoods across the Commonwealth. Approximately 175 Crossing Guard nominations were submitted for consideration from over 35 statewide communities.
The following school and community partners, Crossing Guards, and individual stakeholders were recognized at this year’s awards ceremony:
Exemplary Programs by Region Winners:
William E. Norris School, Southampton
Belmont Street Community School, Worcester
LaLiberte Elementary School, Raynham
Glover Elementary School, Marblehead
Community Collaboration:
Lowell Bike Connector
Crossing Guard of the Year:
Debbie Lang, Boston (Winner)
Dr. James Cummings, Grafton (Honorable Mention)
Cheryl Anziano, Chicopee (Crossing Guard Champion)
Linda Carella, Arlington (Crossing Guard Champion)
Claire MacPherson, Brookline (Crossing Guard Champion)
Nikki Tishler Memorial Award:
Stephanie Colón, Mass in Motion Coordinator, City of Holyoke
A full list of all of this year’s award recipients can be found in the SRTS Awards Ceremony Program.
Sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and with funds from the Federal Highway Administration, the Massachusetts SRTS Program promotes safer routes for students to get to school through a focus on the six E’s—Education, Encouragement, Evaluation, Engagement, Engineering, and Equity. The Program hosts annual flagship events such as Massachusetts Walk, Bike, and Roll to School Day.
The Program also offers pedestrian and bicycle training activities, walk and bike assessments, and arrival/dismissal observations at schools. SRTS works with schools and their local communities to help customize safety-focused activities, provide resources to help facilitate safe student travel, and offer one-on-one assistance for each school’s specific needs. By fostering partnerships between advocacy groups, municipal officials, law enforcement, education leaders, and public health departments, the program currently serves over 1,100 public elementary, middle, and high schools in over 280 communities across the Commonwealth.
