SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL PLANNING FRAMEWORK SRTS TEAM Successful SRTS programs recognize each community as being unique and emphasize the importance of including a diverse range of community representation on the team. The Ogema SRTS team included representation from the Ogema Elementary School and the Waubun-Ogema-White Earth (WOWE) Public School District (an administrator, teachers, student and parents), Mahnomen County, White Earth Nation Police Department, Minnesota Department of Transportation – District 4, PartnerSHIP 4 Health, and residents of the City of Ogema. The team members were directly involved in the planning process, with many having the knowledge and skills needed to implement the plan recommendations. After delivering the plan West Central Initiative (WCI) will continue to provide ongoing technical assistance to aid in plan implementation.
SRTS PLANNING PROCESS In January 2014, Ann Wothe formally of WOWE, contacted WCI to discuss a SRTS planning assistance grant. During this initial conversation, it was determined that they were looking for planning assistance specifically for the Ogema Elementary School. The WOWE Public School District crosses county lines and Regional Development Commission boundaries as it extends into Mahnomen County. However, since Ogema and the elementary school lie within WCI’s jurisdiction, it was determined that WCI would take the lead in developing the plan.
In August of 2014, the formal planning process began. With the assistance of staff at WCI, the SRTS team came together to review the school and community profiles, provide input on the barriers, outline the vision and goals, assist in data collection, and develop and review the recommendations. As part of the planning and outreach process, the community was invited and encouraged to provide feedback on the community’s strengths, barriers and opportunities (a type of SWOT Analysis adopted for SRTS planning).
P a g e 30 | Chapter 2: About Safe Routes to School (SRTS)
