Morley Library, the Lake County General Health District (LCGHD), the City of Painesville, Friends of Morley Library and Boy Scout Troop 62 will celebrate the grand opening of the Kiwanis Park StoryWalk® on Wednesday, August 30 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 5:30pm and a Story Time with the Fire Department starting at 6pm at the park, located at 301 Latimore Drive in Painesville. The Kiwanis Park StoryWalk® offers a free, fun, and accessible opportunity for families to build and encourage an interest in reading, while promoting physical activity at the same time.
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 the Painesville Parks and Recreation Department and Boy Scout Troop 62 assisted in the installation of the StoryWalk®.
The posts along the StoryWalk® in Painesville will have two pages from “Hiking Day” by Anne Rockwell, a children’s book, in each frame. The entire book will be framed on the trail along with information about opportunities for learning activities and early literacy development. 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 several 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 Kiwanis Park StoryWalk® and to stay active in Painesville.
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 would spark 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 commitment and fresh idea, StoryWalk® sites are now in all 50 states and in 12 countries.
Morley Library and its partners are looking forward to promoting early childhood literacy and physical activity starting this Fall and hope to see Lake County residents and visitors complete the Kiwanis Park StoryWalk®. For questions, contact Morley Library at (440) 352-3383 or visit their website for more information at www.morleylibrary.org. For more information about the StoryWalk®, visit www.lcghd.org/storywalk/.
