Author: Courtney Jerome
“Sometimes there’s that thought that, ‘Oh, literacy has to happen when we’re sitting in the chair and we’re reading the book, and we’re talking about it and answering questions,’ and it’s just so much more than that,” shares Barb Sanford, youth collections and program coordinator at Chippewa River District Library. “And it can be so much easier than that, too.”
Chippewa River District Library and area partners have made literacy available to the community in many unique ways throughout the years.
One of their initiatives in particular, called StoryWalk, is a program that turns children’s books into interactive, outdoor experiences by displaying book pages on signs along a path.
The first local StoryWalk was installed in Isabella Township Park in 2021, followed by Island Park in 2023, and most recently, community members can find a third story around the track at Horizon Park which was installed in August.
At each park, one children’s book is on display at a time. The stories then rotate a few times a year. Since the initiative’s inception, eight stories have been on rotation throughout the parks.
Not only does each StoryWalk sign display pages from stories, but Braille text, and QR codes that connect to American Sign Language (ASL) translations are also included—ensuring broad access to literacy and new ways to engage with stories in outdoor spaces.
“We want to make sure that the story is accessible to as many people as possible,” explains Sanford.
“So not only are they getting access to the literature and the fun stories and the prompts to engage in the stories, but also everyone can access them because we have Braille elements on each of the stories. And so we’ve really tried to make that as accessible as possible,” she says.
“We’ve tried to also include little videos throughout,” Sanford says of QR codes which can be found on signs. “We have a friend named Mia who is so kind as to film little videos of American Sign Language for us to teach certain words [within the stories].”
The StoryWalk installations are the result of a wide network of community partners coming together to make literacy more accessible.
At Isabella Township Park, support came from the Mt. Pleasant Community Foundation through the James Dale Ervin Memorial Fund, the Robert and Geraldine Krapohl Literacy Fund, the Mary Ellen Brandell Access to Recreation Fund, and the Friends of the Faith Johnston Memorial Library. Additional backing was provided by the Isabella Township Board, with a gift made in memory of Chad Jessop, and the Evergreen 4-H Club of Isabella County sponsoring an extra story.
The StoryWalk at Island Park was made possible thanks to the Friends of the Veteran’s Memorial Library, the Kiwanis Club of Mt. Pleasant, Mt. Pleasant Parks and Recreation, and the family of David McGrath.
Most recently, the Horizon Park StoryWalk was supported by the Rotary Club of Mt. Pleasant, Mt. Pleasant Parks and Recreation, and the Mt. Pleasant Oilers, as the park is part of the Mt. Pleasant Public Schools property.
Beyond organizational support, several individuals played a critical role in bringing the project to life: library staff member Andrea Graham has been instrumental in launching and sustaining StoryWalk, while the idea itself first came to Mt. Pleasant through the efforts of Rebecca Bundy, former library staff member, and Chris Bundy, former director of parks and public spaces for the City of Mt. Pleasant. Various community members have also donated funds for specific stories to be shared.
“This is very much a community-backed project brought about by a whole bunch of people who love Mt. Pleasant and want to make the wonder of books and nature accessible to the whole community,” says Sanford.
With so many hands involved, StoryWalk has become more than a library project—it’s a shared investment in literacy and connection.
“Because the more you engage with the story,” says Sanford, “the more you’re going to think about it—the more effective it is at promoting literacy.”
