A Safer Journey to School

Alberto López of Mexico walks his niece Itzel to school every chance he gets. When asked what the route to her school was like, Alberto says, “Well, it’s definitely not the safest.”

Every day all around the world, children like Alberto’s niece have to walk along unsafe roads to get to school. With routes that pass through unmarked intersections in high traffic areas, it can be scary for families to send their kids to school.

“We cross several streets, several of them are very large, very busy and we don't have adequate education on road safety issues in the city or in the area where we live,” says Alberto.

He serves as a member of the Parents’ Association at Itzel’s school to advocate for increased safety measures in their school zones. “What we're trying to do is create a system where the school works together with the local government to create appropriate signs, because we don't have them.”

But oftentimes, communities need more support when it comes to implementing these changes. A need that 3M’s school zone project is focusing on in communities around the world.

Despite these challenges, he’s still determined to make a difference for Itzel and her classmates.

“We want our children not only to be happy to go to school, but to be happy because they are safe when going to school.”

Helping to ensure this safety for students can come from increasing signage and visibility around school zones. Something that Alberto and 3M are both working towards.