StoryWalk Opening at Earth Day Event April 24

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Jaime Pitt
Director, Marion Public Library
jpitt@marion.lib.in.us
Moving stories improve our lives.
StoryWalk opening at Earth Day event in Matter Park
Marion – Readers of all ages will walk, run, or roll from page to page as stories unfold at Marion’s inaugural StoryWalk, which debuts April 24 in Matter Park in Marion.

“Reading should be enjoyable, and the StoryWalk will make this possible for everyone visiting Matter Park,” says Jaime Pitt, director of Marion Public Library, a co-sponsor of the project. “This program supports the library’s mission to encourage families to read together, along with our Summer Reading Program and 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten.”

The ribbon cutting will be 4:30 p.m. April 24 by the pond at Matter Park as a part of the city’s Earth Day celebration. This interactive literacy program is co-sponsored by Indiana Wesleyan University and the City of Marion, particularly the Parks and Recreation Department.

Visitors to StoryWalk will read Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt – written by Kate Messner and illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal - as they walk from page to page. The story explores the living world underneath our feet and our gardens.
StoryWalk will feature a rotating selection of children’s picture books, Pitt says, ensuring that there’s always something new for families to discover within Matter Park. The accessible trail is free and available during Matter Park’s hours.
IWU helped secure funding for the project.

“IWU has dedicated its focus toward literacy and childhood education,” says Keenan Davis, director of IWU Campus and Community Collaborations. “IWU values the many partners in Marion that we have joined in an effort to increase literacy, such as the Marion Public Library.”

Literacy depends upon physical and mental development; increasingly sedentary habits have creeped into childhood, depriving children of needed movement that helps both, according to studies. Research is starting to link inadequate movement with problems that include obvious issues like obesity to indirect issues like hampered comprehension and ability to focus.

Marion Mayor Ronald Morrell says that StoryWalk complements programs that the city is implementing.
“Literacy and fitness have been top priorities for this administration, so when I was presented with this idea, it felt like the perfect fit,” Morrell says. “Providing our citizens with the opportunity to be active on a newly paved walkway – while also engaging with a meaningful story – beautifully supports our city’s ongoing initiatives.”
 
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