by Maya Quinn, managing editor

This past Saturday, May 16th, marked the induction of the Story Walk program into Eutaw’s United Memorial Park, located directly behind St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 403 N. Eutaw Ave, Eutaw, AL 35462. The Greene County Children’s Policy Council, their mentored students, United Way of West Alabama, and Success by 6 participated in a ribbon-cutting to mark the occasion.

 

Judge Osbourne and the Children’s Policy Council have been on a mission to increase the literacy rate in Greene County’s youth. According to recent data collected by the council, only 29% of the county’s 3rd and 4th-graders are meeting the state’s targeted reading levels for their age groups. The council has worked hard to receive grants and funding for initiatives, such as Born Ready University, that provide support networks to change these numbers. Over the past year, the council has increased enrollment in the Imagination Library, a program that provides free books to children ages 0-5, by 40%. Even with this increase in enrollment, the council still notes that literacy and parent involvement are critical needs that must be addressed in the county.

 

Story Walk’s presence is a continuation of the council’s and Success by 6’s efforts to provide resources to families that would otherwise be unavailable to them. “This is a busy park in Greene County. We have a lot of families out here every day,” Judge Osbourne explained, “For them to be able to come and walk around and engage together is going to be very beneficial… not only for quality of life, but for building stronger families.” Alongside the monthly story walk, there is also a Little Library station where families can find a rotating variety of books for young readers. Some titles included works by famous children’s book authors, such as Eric Carle, who is known for The Very Hungry Caterpillar.