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Pedestrian safety education curriculum curated by the Portland Bureau of Transportation's (PBOT) Safe Routes to School program is primarily for elementary school health and PE classes. Curriculum includes materials and handouts for use in a classroom and outdoor setting.
Bring pedestrian safety education to your students through a health or physical education (PE) setting! Safe Routes to School staff will provide free train-the-trainer education to get you started and feeling confident with skills and information.
What is pedestrian safety education?
The pedestrian safety education curriculum uses PE games and movement to teach pedestrian and personal safety skills. Our goal is to help students feel safe getting where they need to go free from threat and fear of emotional, psychological, and physical harm.
Who is it designed for?
The pedestrian safety education curriculum is designed for elementary school classes. It was developed in partnership with PE teachers and is aligned with Oregon Department of Education's PE Standards.
How does it work?
This pedestrian safety education curriculum teaches students what to look for and how to walk safely on city streets. It equips teachers with resources and questions to bring these lessons into their classrooms. The pedestrian safety education curriculum includes:
- A book of lesson plans for grades Kindergarten through 2nd Grade and 3rd through 5th grades
- A set of road signs and vinyl streets to lay on a gym floor or blacktop
The lessons are designed to be taught over six 30-minute class periods but can be adapted for fewer.
Teacher-created resources
Coming soon...
Train-the-trainer
The Safe Routes to School team does not have the capacity to engage with all 55,000+ students in Portland's 100+ schools across five districts. This is why we designed our program in a creative way to be more sustainable. Through a train-the-trainer teaching model, we help educators become transportation safety experts for their school community. This helps expand our reach beyond what we would be able to do through direct education with students alone.
We provide initial training to teachers, then offer in-class support as teachers begin instructing students. Safe Routes to School staff are available to observe teachers in class, offer feedback, and help respond to questions.
Access the pedestrian safety curriculum
Demonstrated results
In the early 2000s, Miami was one of the deadliest U.S. cities for pedestrians, especially children. Over a three-year period, 235 pedestrians ages 14 and younger were injured or killed by people driving motor vehicles. In response, Miami-Dade County and University of Miami formed the Miami Pediatric Traffic Injury Task Force, which developed a pedestrian safety curriculum for elementary schools. After the school district adopted the curriculum countywide, Miami saw an 87% decrease in child pedestrian traffic injuries.
Source: Witte, M. (2025, October 28). Blueprint for Safer Schools: How UM and Miami-Dade Bring Lifesaving WalkSafe & BikeSafe Programs to Every Student. Presentation at the Safe Routes to School National Summit.
Bring pedestrian safety education to your school!
If your school is interested in offering pedestrian safety education through a health or PE class, please reach out to us at saferoutes@portlandoregon.gov.