Families in Tuscaloosa will have the opportunity to enjoy storytime while taking a stroll outdoors.
Through a collaboration among the Tuscaloosa County Park and Recreation Authority, Tuscaloosa Public Library and UA’s College of Human Environmental Sciences, Tuscaloosa StoryWalk® will feature numerous story displays along the Tuscaloosa Riverwalk on Sunday, April 11 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The displays will start at the south side of the Tuscaloosa River Market.
Spearheading the project is CHES graduate student and Supervisor of Youth Programs for PARA Casie Jones. In the process of completing her graduate degree in public health at UA, Jones has taken on extra projects to satisfy her applied practice experience for her degree.
“CHES students will be there to promote health, active lifestyles and literacy. Each group will have a table at the event and an activity for children to participate in.”
“I’ve been inspired by my mentors in the College of Human Environmental Sciences to create opportunities to be ‘hands-on’ in the community,” said Casie Jones. “For me, Tuscaloosa StoryWalk serves as a pathway to connect my research, CHES colleagues and our similar passions for health and quality of life directly to local youth and families.”
Sunday’s opening celebration, which includes games and activities, will involve others from CHES. Faculty member Dr. Becky Larson said, “My environmental health classes are completing service learning to help Casie with this project. At the kick-off event, CHES students will be there to promote health, active lifestyles and literacy. Each group will have a table at the event and an activity for children to participate in.”
The event is free and open to the public.
The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. StoryWalk® is a registered service mark owned by Ferguson.
Permanent locations for StoryWalk® trails are planned for parks throughout the county.
Contact
Tabby Brown, UA College of Human Environmental Sciences, tbrown@ches.ua.edu