'Born Learning Trail' opening at Northridge Park

Appeal-Democrat, Marysville, Calif.
·2 min read
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May 22—A public grand opening will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday at Northridge Park in Yuba City for a new learning experience called the "Born Learning Trail."

According to Bob Harlan, executive director of the Yuba-Sutter-Colusa United Way, the trail was designed to "educate and entertain young children" while at the same time encouraging kids to go outside and exercise.

The trail features 10 stops along the park's walkway. Those stops have interactive signs which offer a variety of activities to do with a child and questions to ask, Harlan said. Four of the stops, Harlan said, have designs painted on the concrete walkway to allow a child to learn letters, shapes, numbers and more.

"A parent and/or guardian is a child's first teacher, training and educating a child from birth until the time they enter school," Harlan said in a statement. "An amazing fact is that 90% of a child's brain is developed by age four. So those first three years are a great time to work with your child in all ways to give them a great start in life."

At 6 p.m. on Thursday, a ribbon-cutting event will be held at Northridge Park, located at 1898 Clark Ave. in Yuba City. Harlan said the public is invited to bring their young children and refreshments will be provided.

"The 'Born Learning Trail' is an off-shoot of the 'Born Learning Academy,' which is a series of six one-hour classes for parents and guardians," Harlan said. "The Academy started classes during the past year at schools in the Yuba City Unified School District and the Marysville Joint Unified School District, with some 80 families graduating the course. This course will return to both districts in the fall."

Harlan said the Born Learning Trail is a "product of United Way Worldwide and is featured in more than a thousand parks nationwide." Locally, the trail is financed through a grant from the Sutter County Children and Families Commission with Yuba-Sutter-Colusa United Way and the city of Yuba City Parks and Recreation Department also involved in its construction financially and in providing oversight and installation, Harlan said.