The StoryWalk Project

The idea of Wegienka Elementary's StoryWalk began when Sarah Noto, Wegienka’s speech pathologist, was walking in downtown Wyandotte and noticed the framed reading stations displayed around the area.

Noto realized that an actual storybook was contained in the frames, and thought it would be a great enhancement to Wegienka’s walking path. She shared the idea with colleague Stephanie Guimond and once both did some research, they discovered that the frames were actually part of The StoryWalk Project.

Noto and Guimond presented the addition of the StoryWalk displays to the walking path to Principal Michelle Briegel. Their thought was this would be a great way to bring families together for some exercise and at the same time help build literacy in our community.

Briegel agreed with Noto and Guimond’s idea and applied for a grant from a local philanthropic foundation. Their efforts paid off, and Briegel received word in August 2022 that Wegienka Elementary would be being awarded a grant to add the StoryWalk to Wegienka’s walking path.

What is StoryWalk?

StoryWalk combines physical activity with literacy; it’s an innovative way to get people of all ages out walking while reading children's picture books – pages of a book are transfered to signs that are placed on a trail inviting people to follow the path of the pages. The goal of StoryWalk is to help build children’s interest in reading while encouraging healthy outdoor activity.

WBSD’s Support Services Department spent time in late September, 2022 installing the StoryWalk frames along Wegienka’s walking path. Wegienka Elementary hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrate the display install. Briegel told those in attendance, “I’m excited that this is a permanent installation to encourage the love of reading.”

The entire school participated in the ceremony and Briegel acted as Master of Ceremonies. Student Council members read a poem and both Noto and Guimond spoke about the journey. Students enjoyed walking the path, and reading the story before heading back to their classes.

Look for a new story each month on Wegienka's walking path. You won't want to miss it! l