Learn how to implement a School Street in your community!
Apply by September 18th 2026, 11:59PM PT
The Opportunity
The National Active School Streets Initiative (NASSI) is currently accepting applications for new communities to join our Community of Practice. The Community of Practice is a virtual gathering of practitioners from across Canada. Through these gatherings we exchange knowledge and resources about School Streets implementations. Community of Practice sessions occur once every other month and cover a variety of School Streets related topics, such as, how to select a school site, conduct community engagement, and navigate the permitting process.
Read below for the eligibility requirements, the expected time commitment, what you will receive if you are accepted, and the deadline for submission.
What is the National Active School Streets Initiative?
NASSI (or School Streets) creates car-free zones in front of schools either with temporary barriers at the start and end of the school day or with permanent installations. These car-free zones help increase rates of physical activity, create safer spaces for children to travel to and from school, improve air quality, and foster community connections.
In 2024, Green Communities Canada received funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada to lead this nationwide initiative. Together with 8 80 Cities, Centre d’écologie urbaine, and the Society for Children and Youth of BC, we have onboarded more than 20 local project partners across Canada. Impacts of the initiative are being evaluated by research teams from the Université de Montréal, University of British Columbia, Queen’s University, and Toronto Metropolitan University.
Eligibility for the Community of Practice
To join the NASSI Community of Practice, you must represent one of the groups listed below:
- Municipality
- Regional Transportation Authority
- Indigenous Government
- School District (e.g., Board, Division, Student Transportation Consortia, etc.)
- School Community Group (e.g., school principal, Parent Advisory Council, etc.)
- Non-Profit Organization
Time Commitment
Participation in the NASSI Community of Practice requires a time commitment of approximately 2-4 hours every other month. The exact time commitment depends on how much additional time you dedicate towards reviewing resources, seeking additional support, and more.
What you will receive
- An honorarium to participate in the NASSI Community of Practice
- The ability to join a network of 60+ practitioners from across Canada all working to implement School Streets in their communities
- Office hours support from NASSI Technical Leads on School Streets related questions and/or concerns Access to School Streets resources, such as previous Community of Practice content and materials, training materials (e.g., worksheets, spreadsheets, etc.), and a dedicated NASSI Slack channel
This opportunity does not include funding to implement School Streets. If you plan to proceed with one or more implementations, funding will need to be secured independently of your participation in the Community of Practice.
Deadline
Submit your completed Expression of Interest form by September 18th, 2026, at 11:59 PM PT.
The NASSI Community of Practice has a limited number of spots, therefore the completion of this form does not guarantee participation. The NASSI team will assess the level of readiness and use an equity prioritization approach to select which communities are invited to join the program.
Green Communities Canada will only accept applications that are submitted through our Granting platform, Foundant. All applicants must create a Foundant account before starting an application. To preview the application questions before registering for an account, click here.
If you have any questions about the Expression of Interest form or the Foundant platform, please contact Xuedan Xu at xxu@greencommunitiescanada.org.
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