Morley Library, the Lake County General Health District (LCGHD), the City of Painesville, Friends of Morley Library and Boy Scout Troop 62 partnered to coordinate funding, development, and the grand opening of a StoryWalk® in Kiwanis Park located in downtown Painesville at 301 Latimore Drive. The Kiwanis Park StoryWalk® offers a free, fun, and accessible opportunity for families to build and encourage children’s interest in reading. The partnering agencies aim to increase the number of people using libraries and promote the importance of using local libraries in the county.
Community Health Improvement Plan Strategy
In the 2023-2025 Lake County Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), StoryWalks® were identified as a strategy to impact both early childhood literacy and the need for improved physical activity. Morley Library received an Ohio Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Open Grant for equipment, and LCGHD staff pursued local funding to ensure the completion of the project. The Friends of Morley Library provided additional funding support, and Boy Scout Troop 62 assisted in the installation of the StoryWalk®.
What is a StoryWalk®
The very first StoryWalk® was created in 2007 by Anne Ferguson from Vermont. Her goal was to have more children in her community become physically active by walking a trail that was visually engaging and sparked their interest. She installed posts along the walking trail and added pages from a picture book to each post that all ages can find joy in. Because of Anne’s dedication and unique idea, StoryWalk® sites are now in all 50 states and in 12 countries.
The posts along the Kiwanis Park StoryWalk® in Painesville will display two pages from a children’s book in each frame. The entire book will be framed on the trail along with information about opportunities for extension activities and how to borrow books from Morley Library. Each quarter, Morley Library staff will change the book on the trail to go along with the seasons, to reflect local history, or to reflect the different cultures and languages in the county. Staff will also hold two events each year at the trail to help raise awareness about the trail and to encourage Lake County residents of all ages to use the StoryWalk® and stay active in Painesville.
Morley Library and its partners are looking forward to promoting early childhood literacy and physical activity and hope to see Lake County residents and visitors complete the Kiwanis Park StoryWalk®.
Partner Agencies
City of Painesville
Painesville City Hall
Richmond Street
Painesville, OH
440-352-9301
https://www.painesville.com/
Morley Library
184 Phelps Street
Painesville, OH
440-352-3383
https://www.morleylibrary.org/
Friends of Morley Library
The Friends of Morley Library is a group of volunteers dedicated to helping make the Library the best it can be.
https://www.morleylibrary.org/about/friends
Boy Scout Troop 62
Shawn Parker, Scoutmaster
440-336-7663
Lake County General Health District
5966 Heisley Rd
Mentor, OH
440-350-2543
