United Way to Launch New Park Educational Trail
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Parks manager James McGrath and Nancy Stoll explain the trail and educational signage proposed for Springside Park. |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city's Parks Commission has looked favorably on a plan by Berkshire United Way to create a trail of educational signage at Springside Park.
The trail, which is designed to offer outdoor learning games that promote engagement and build pre-literacy skills for young children, will consist of a series of signs posted in a route around the Rotary Playground in the southeastern most corner of the park. A similar trail of signs was installed by United Way in September 2011 at Muddy Brook Elementary School in Great Barrington.
The trail will consist of 10 colorful signs, which will be attached to posts being provided by Berkshire Fence.
"What the trail does is it promotes interaction between children and their parents or caregivers," said Nancy Stoll, director of community engagement and evaluation for Berkshire United Way.
"It seems like a very good complement to the playground," said Park, Open Space and Natural Resource Program Manager James McGrath. "We have a lot of kids who are using that playground, and it just seems like a good complement to healthy activity, and healthy play."
"Not only that, but it's healthy play among their peers that may be disabled or have other mobility issues," added McGrath, "So it's a really inclusive playground, and I think this is a really inclusive kind of program that may assist with some of the early childhood stuff that everybody needs."
The five-member commission endorsed the plan by a unanimous vote on Tuesday.
Installation of the signs is scheduled for May, and will be conducted with the help of volunteers from the community, including members of Junior League and the Berkshire Young Professionals.
An official ribbon cutting with Mayor Daniel Bianchi is scheduled for May 20.
The Born Learning program is a partnership between the United Way, Ad Council, Civitas, and Families and Work Institute.
Tags: Berkshire United Way, park, trails,
