The vibrant city of Seguin is opening its arms wider, embracing literacy and outdoor activity in one swoop with the advent of its first StoryWalk® on August 28. Set behind the Seguin Public Library along Walnut Springs Hike & Bike Trail, the StoryWalk® offers an innovative approach to combine reading with nature and play. The initiative is part of a broader campaign spearheaded by the Seguin Public Library, the City of Seguin, and Seguin Independent School District’s Seguin Reads program, aiming to engage families in a unique educational experience.
StoryWalk® isn't just any project; it's a literacy endeavor that strategically places the pages of a children’s book along a community walking trail, inviting participants to read as they roam, according to city officials. Jennifer Sourdellia, Public Information Officer at the City of Seguin, told the city's news release, “The StoryWalk® not only fosters a love for reading ,but also encourages families to get outside and explore our beautiful trail system.” Carefully slicing literature and setting it free amid the embrace of the wild, the program breathes a vivid narrative into the natural walkways of the town, binding pages to the pulse of community footsteps.
The StoryWalk® installation in Seguin is the fruit of a collaborative labor, financed by a grant from the Seguin Education Foundation, on which the city's educational and recreational departments laid their stakes, Silvia Christy, Seguin Public Library Director, conveyed the joint effort's significance, stating, “Together, we aim to create a vibrant and engaging experience for families where stories come to life in the great outdoors.” The Seguin High School students and their CTE teacher, Jason Rice, crafted 72 book stands for the StoryWalk® displays, a testament to the hands that build pathways to literacy.
As the community prepares for the grand morning of reading and discovery at 9 am, local high school librarian Jackie Silvius shines with the same light as those who burn the midnight oil to illuminate knowledge, she remarked on the efforts of her town, “Bringing Storywalks® to Seguin has been a year-long endeavor, and we owe its success to the incredible collaboration and support from our community.” The continued zest for enriching Seguin’s literacy landscape will soon yield two additional StoryWalks® at Bauer Park and Park West, the joy in Silvius’s words palpable as she thanked Tess Coody and Pecantown Books for the literary contributions.
Seguin's residents are urged to walk the line between literacy and leisure at the StoryWalk® grand opening, where the community's fabric is strengthened with each page turned under the open sky. The honored book gracing the trail is "This is a School" by John Schu, selected to set the stage for this fresh chapter in Seguin’s cultural and educational narrative. The dedication of the Seguin Public Library staff and related partners is clear, with questions and inquiries welcomed at the contact number 830-401-2422.
