Turning a Walk Into an Educational Opportunity

The importance of learning in early childhood development is crucial, as a child with poor early education is 25 percent more likely to drop out of school. Our goal is to help make educational opportunities easily accessible for parents and caregivers of young children. One simple activity to stimulate learning is to visit a Born Learning Trail. These pathways feature activities and games that make learning fun. Simply go for a short walk and help boost your child's language and literacy skills.

Currently, there are five trails available in Racine County. Families can enjoy trails at Echo Park, Knapp Community School, Julian Thomas Community School, North Beach Park and West Park. Each trail features unique artwork and is a great free activity for the whole family to enjoy.

Ali Haigh, United Way of Racine County President and CEO, knows the impact made by these trails.

"These trails provide children an opportunity to get active and practice their learning skills. It is important that children are provided with experiences that create the foundation for future educational successes. I encourage everyone to enjoy the outdoors and help foster learning in our youth.”

Recently, the trails at Knapp Community School and Echo Park were refreshed with the help of volunteers from the Junior League of Racine and Burlington Rotary. Plans to refresh the other three trails are forthcoming.

The support of local businesses and volunteers allows us to keep the trails looking fresh for future visitors. If you and your team are looking for a fun and impactful team building activity, please consider sponsoring a trail refresh. Interested parties can contact Jessica Safransky Schacht, Chief Operating Officer at (262) 898-2251 to learn more.

Volunteers from our recent Knapp Community School trail refresh share the importance of these trails: