Senator Collins Participates in ‘Walking School Bus’ Program at Vine Street School in Bangor

Bangor, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins visited Vine Street School in Bangor to participate in their “walking school bus” program.  She joined walking school bus coordinator Izzy Higgins on her walking route through the surrounding neighborhood to pick up students between pre-K and third grade at designated “stops” along the way.

“I was delighted to spend my morning walking with students on their way to class at Vine Street School in Bangor,” said Senator Collins.  “The walking school bus program is a fun way for these children to start the school day and it helps to instill healthy habits for a lifetime.  Despite the rainy weather, it brightened my day to meet enthusiastic students who share a passion for learning.”

Vine Street School—along with several other Bangor schools—offers an exciting program for students within the school’s walking boundaries called the “walking school bus.”  The program gives students the opportunity to engage in physical activity and build lifelong healthy habits by walking to school instead of riding the bus.  In addition, the program teaches children about pedestrian safety and strengthens relationships between students, school staff, and community members.  The program regularly partners with local community members to show students the many career opportunities available to them in the Bangor area after graduation.

Senator Collins, a member of the Senate Education Committee, has visited more than 200 schools throughout Maine during her Senate service and has long led efforts to honor our nation’s public schools and improve our education system.  She recently met with Kelsey Stoyanova, an eighth grade teacher at Reeds Brooke Middle School in Hampden, who received the 2022 Maine Teacher of the Year award.

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