Day of Action - United Way launches first Born Learning Trail
Tuesday June 24, 2008
Click here to view pictures of the event.
United Way celebrated their first Born Learning Trail at a Summer Celebration in Westwood Park on Saturday, June 21. Volunteers participated in the DAY OF ACTION with storytelling, hands-on activities and demonstrations on how easy and fun the Born Learning Trail is for parents and preschoolers. Designed to help parents engage their young children in fun activities that double as early education tools, these activities help to prepare children for kindergarten. Jason Hargrove and Boris Rodriguez from Polk County Leisure Services, sponsor of the trail, and Penny Borgia and Jodi Tucker from United Way were on hand for the official ribbon cutting.
On this first official day of summer, community partners and volunteers came together for United Way of Central Florida’s Day of Action. This event helped to promote early literacy with reading & activities tied to books, demonstrating how parents can help develop language skills though conversation about books and everyday activities. Volunteers from State Farm Insurance read about a wide-mouthed frog and then played with plastic frogs in water, the News Chief’s story was about dinosaurs with children looking for bones and shells in sand, the Dept of Transportation’s volunteers read about bike safety and fitted children for free helmets while Hel-Mutt, a 7-foot dog with a bright red helmet, promoted helmet safety Advantage Video’s story about a ballerina included a real ballerina from the Ballet Conservatory of Winter Haven. United Way staff read one story about a mouse and a strawberry with real strawberries for each child, and a story about pets included an activity with cookie cutters and play dough.
The Drug Prevention Resource Center put on a puppet show and United Way Success By 6, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Big Brother Big Sisters, Vickers Chiropractic and Early Learning Coalition had fun hands-on crafts and activities. Polk County Leisure Services hosted games. Volunteers from Americorps and McKeel Academy of Technology demonstrated the activities on the Born Learning Trail signs so the parents & kids could see how fun and easy they are to use.
We encourage you to take preschool children to Westwood Park, 1145 – 36th Ave, NW, between Winter Haven & Auburndale and experience the Born Learning Trail. Parents, grandparents and caregivers can use these outings to build learning critical for school readiness. In Polk County, 38% of the children entering kindergarten do not have the language skills they need to succeed in school. Children who start behind, stay behind, so United Way is trying to help parents engage preschoolers in language development activities.
United Way Success By 6 has used the Born Learning community awareness campaign for 4 years (bornlearning.org) and is very excited to have their first outdoor trail in Polk. United Way hopes to recruit additional sponsors for more Born Learning Trails throughout Polk, Hardee & Highlands counties. If you would like more information contact Jodi Tucker of Success By 6 at 863/648-1500 x 265.
We all win when a child succeeds in school and education is a key focus area for your local United Way, with a primary focus on early literacy as the underlying cause of school failure.
