Adding life to years
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“School crossing patroller”


“School crossing patroller”

Summary

The project works with retired people, between 55 and 70 years, who were previously trained by the Safe School PSP. These Watchers / Rangers are assigned to municipality schools in urban areas where there is high traffic volume and speeding, presenting a particularly dangerous environment for commuting students. Their primary function is to ensure the safety of students when crossing the street, on the crosswalk, during periods of peak use, particularly by ensuring the entrances and exits of classes and lunch hours. The project is based on collaboration between the Municipality of Odivelas and Safe School PSP, and surrounding educational establishments. For the performance of their duties, the Watchers / Rangers receive a daily wage, in the amount of €11.38 / school day, as well as the bus pass, in case they are placed in schools outside their Parish of residence.

Key facts

Main target group: Older people in general

Other target group(s): Students, parents and school community.

Sector(s): Social protection

Desired outcome for older people:
Build and maintain relationships

Other issues the Age-friendly practice aims to address:
  • Intergenerational activities

Contact details

Name: Sérgio, Carla

Email address: carla.sergio@cm-odivelas.pt

Preferred language(s): portuguese

Age-friendly practice in detail (click to expand):

Engaging the wider community

Project lead: Local authorities

Older people’s involvement: Older people were consulted during the planning process

Details on older people’s involvement: The project aims to enhance the appreciation of the role of older people in the community, by raising awareness on the adoption of safe behaviours on roads nearby schools, thereby preventing child road casualties.

Moving forward

Has the impact of this age-friendly practice been analysed: Yes

Please share with us what you found in detail:
The senior vigilantes often develop good relationships with the children, their parents and teachers, strengthening their acceptance in the community and enhancing their self-esteem. At the same time, there has been a 60% decrease in child casualties (among children aged 0-14 years) since the beginning of the project.

Feedback:
We conduct an annual evaluation of the project, during which the seniors involved express high levels of satisfaction with the activity, stating that it has positive impacts in terms of motivation, self-esteem and well-being. There is a waiting list of people who would like to join the project.

Expansion plans:
No, currently the project has the participation of 28 vigilantes and covers 31 schools in the municipality area, involving about 11,000 students aged 3 to 15 years, representing for the municipality an approximate annual cost of €50,000.00.

Looking back

Challenges:
The loss of capacity due to the natural aging process led us to limit the age of patrol for 75 years.