HARTFORD, Conn. – On Friday, May 8th, Hartford Athletic and the Green & Blue Foundation celebrated the restoration and installation of a new StoryWalk book located at Colt Park in Hartford, Conn.
The StoryWalk is a fun, interactive literacy experience hosted by the Hartford Athletic Green & Blue Foundation and sponsored by M&T Bank, with help from CRIS Radio, a Windsor-based nonprofit radio-reading service, and Hartford Public Library.
Families and children follow a designated path where a children’s book is displayed page by page along the route. As participants move from page to page, they read the story – or listen to the audio version by scanning a QR Code – while enjoying the outdoors, turning the story into an active, shared experience.
Along the way, there are activities that encourage kids to think about the story, engage with the content, and build a deeper connection to reading. The StoryWalk is designed to promote literacy, physical activity, and family engagement, making it a unique and memorable way for children to learn and have fun at the same time.
Prior to Friday’s press event, the ‘StoryWalk’ portion of Colt Park was cleaned up in partnership with 4G Recycling. Members of Hartford Athletic, including players and staff, along with volunteers from the project’s partners took part in the cleanup and restoration. Beyond removing trash, debris, and other waste items from the public space, the old podiums were replaced with new, metal ones and a new story was installed into the ‘StoryWalk’ along with recordings of the book.
In the press conference, key contributors from Hartford Athletic, M&T Bank, Hartford Public Library, and CRIS Radio provided comments on the importance of the ‘StoryWalk’ restoration and engaging with the youth community.
“At M&T Bank, we are deeply committed to supporting the communities we serve, and that includes investing in our children, their health and education,” said Michael Weinstock, M&T Bank’s Regional President in Hartford. “We are proud to partner with Hartford Athletic Green and Blue Foundation on StoryWalk, which offers students and families a fun way to stay engaged and active while visiting historic Colt Park in Hartford.”
“Children begin building critical literacy skills long before they enter a classroom,” said Bridget E. Quinn, Hartford Public Library’s President and CEO. “StoryWalk pairs literacy with physical activity, inviting families to experience a story along a walking path. With this year’s refreshed StoryWalk, these experiences come to life, strengthening early and ongoing learning in the Hartford community.”
“StoryWalk is a perfect example of how it takes a village to make our communities a better place for all. The volunteers and staff at CRIS Radio are thrilled to be part of that village by producing an accessible human-narrated audio version of the latest StoryWalk book, ‘Maybe Something Beautiful’, available by scanning a QR Code displayed on each book page,” said Diane Weave Dunne, Executive Director at CRIS Radio. “Working together with Hartford Athletics, the Hartford Public Library, the City of Hartford, and M&T Bank, those of us at CRIS are grateful to make this book available to individuals of all abilities, including those who are blind or struggle to read due to other print challenges, such as dyslexia.”
With Friday’s restoration efforts, the ‘StoryWalk’ at Colt Park was rejuvenated for the community to enjoy for the first time yet again.
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