StoryWalk promotes physical activity, literacy at Painesville park

Bryson Durst, The News-Herald, Willoughby, Ohio
·3 min read

Aug. 31—Community members and officials recently gathered at Painesville's Kiwanis Recreation Park to celebrate the opening of a new StoryWalk, which is designed to allow visitors to practice literacy while moving around outside.

The StoryWalk panels start at the northern end of the park's River Walk trail, near the NatureWorks Pavilion and playground. Each panel currently contains two pages from Anne Rockwell's book "Hiking Day," along with a literacy tip and activity prompt.

Morley Library will select a new story two to three times a year, said library Director Aurora Martinez. It will also plan "a few literacy-related programs at the StoryWalk each year."

During its Aug. 30 grand opening, city Recreation Supervisor Justin Gollin said that the StoryWalk is intended "to encourage an interest in reading while promoting physical activity at the same time."

Martinez described it as "a gift to our Painesville community."

"We look forward to offering different stories throughout the year that families can enjoy together while also spending time outdoors and contributing to overall wellness," she added.

"It's wonderful to see that Morley Library understands we have to reach outside the building to meet the needs of our kids, our students and everyone in the community, and this is a really special and exciting project," said Lake County Commissioner John Plecnik, who presented a proclamation from the county commissioners to the city during the grand opening.

The attraction was created as a partnership between the city, the Lake County General Health District, the library, the Friends of Morley Library and Boy Scout Troop 62, Martinez said.

She said that the idea to add a StoryWalk at the park came in December from Christine Schriefer, a health district educator who helped coordinate various aspects of the project.

Martinez applied for an Ohio Library Services and Technology Act Open Grant. She said that she and library Children's Manager Baladine Culver selected the first story, while Culver worked on the literacy tips and activity prompts.

Culver, Martinez and Schriefer all worked to assemble the stations, Martinez added. The installation was completed by the city's Public Lands and Recreation Department and Troop 62.

As was previously reported, the project cost $5,800. The LSTA grant provided $4,999, while the health district and the Friends of Morley Library also contributed.

Painesville Communications Coordinator Kathleen Sullivan described the project as "a great collaborative effort."

"We hope that everybody enjoys the walk along the path and visits Morley Library afterward to continue their reading journey," Schriefer said.

The health district said in a news release that its 2023-2025 Lake County Community Health Improvement Plan includes the use of StoryWalks "as a strategy to impact both early childhood literacy and the need for improved physical activity."

The idea for the first StoryWalk came from Montpelier, Vermont resident Anne Ferguson in 2007, according to the website for the city's Kellogg-Hubbard Library.

Kiwanis Recreation Park is located at 301 Latimore St. More information about the park's StoryWalk can be found at lcghd.org/storywalk.