The second Born Learning Trail for Altrusa International of Ocala was a collaborative effort between the Early Learning Coalition of Marion County, The United Way Success By 6 Program, Marion County Parks & Recreation and Altrusa International of Ocala, Florida Inc. The Early Learning Coalition of Marion County is dedicated to providing children and their families in Marion County, Florida with access to quality early learning programs that nurture their learning potential and prepare them for their educational success. The United Way Success By 6 Program is a community wide initiative of the United Way of Marion County and is focused on bringing together volunteers and resources from business, government and non-profits and the community to increase awareness of the needs of children, ages birth to six and their families. The mission of Altrusa leads to a natural partnership between our club and these two organizations. In 2014 the club partnered with these parties to do our first Born Learning Trail. We chose to do another trail due to the fact that quality early learning experiences are critical determinants of school readiness and academic success. The trials impact our community by providing parents/caregivers with a fun and interactive opportunity to bond with and to help their children develop mentally, physically and socially. The brightly colored signs (branded with logos of each partnering entity) help with the recognition of colors, shapes and animals. In addition, they help with number recognition and counting. The sidewalk activities/games associated with each station help with muscle development, balance and coordination. The Club would have an initial outlay of $2,500 and applied for an Altrusa International Foundation Grant of $2,000 to help fund the project (signs, paints, etc.) We were responsible for sidewalk layout, taping and painting and ribbon cutting activities. In addition to the trail, we also suggested adding a “Little Free Library” to the site. We continue to add these all over our area to encourage and promote lifelong reading. Members assist in the selection of books for the library and maintain it.
The Born Learning Trail and the Little Free Library are an ongoing resource for families to enjoy today and for months and years to come. The Club had an outlay of $4,800 and over 100 hours of volunteer time. The trail is located in a family park that requires no admission and has 365 day access with an adjoining playground, restrooms and picnic pavilions. It is located in a heavily populated residential area and the total population in the area is 22,347 with approximately 1,545 households with children and 2,131 people below poverty level so we estimate impacting a minimum of 1,500 children annually. Altrusa’s name is on each sign and prominent on the “Little Free Library”, which has been refilled numerous times since the initial opening.
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