The Born Learning Trail in Old Saybrook at Goodwin Elementary School installed on Middlesex United Way Day of Caring
Old Saybrook, CT – Middlesex United Way’s annual Day of Caring was held on September 28, 2011, and a team of volunteers from Liberty Bank installed a Born Learning Trail (BLT) at Goodwin Elementary School in Old Saybrook. The Trails are an early learning tool featuring a series of signs on posts with fun, physical activities for parents and caregivers to do with their children. They are installed in a public setting for everyone in the community to enjoy.
Volunteers cemented posts into the ground, attached signs to the posts, and painted stencils with letters, numbers and shapes. “Liberty Bank employees participate in United Way Day of Caring every year. They recognize the value that this investment in time offers the community.” said Toral Maher, grants coordinator, Liberty Bank Foundation. “Community service has long been a hallmark of this bank; employees here mentor children, work in food pantries, and fundraise for important causes, and much more.”
The Trail installation was coordinated with the help of Heather McNeil, Director at Old Saybrook Youth and Family Services. “The project itself is a great way for parents and children to experience more engaged interaction in a playful, yet educational way. Working in conjunction with the Liberty Bank volunteers allows us to form and strengthen community partnerships that will last beyond this project, and also allows us to share the information about our agency work on a person-to-person level.” said Heather. “The school was thrilled to be chosen as the site for BLT, and as funding for ‘extras’ has been constrained, the generosity of Middlesex United Way provides their school community with an outside learning enhancement they might otherwise not have had the opportunity to experience.”
One of Middlesex United Way’s goals is to increase children’s readiness to learn by school entry. This focused Day of Caring project is one way in which United Way is achieving this goal and provide an early learning tool for communities in Middlesex County. Day of Caring is an annual event that matches groups of volunteer from local companies with projects at non-profit organizations.
Teams of volunteers from other local organizations installed trails in Clinton, Cromwell, East Hampton, Westbrook and the communities of Durham-Middlefield and Haddam-Killingworth. Trails already exist in the towns of Middletown and Portland. Lowe’s Home Improvement in Cromwell donated their time to pre-build all of the wood posts and cement footings for the trails.
To learn more about Born Learning Trails; as well as view photos and videos from all of the Day of Caring 2011 trail projects visit www.middlesexunitedway.org/day-caring-2011 or ‘Like’ us on Facebook www.facebook.com/middlesexunitedway Middlesex United Way is advancing the common good by creating opportunities for a better life for all. Our focus is on education, income, health and housing – the building blocks for a good quality of life. United Way recruits people and organizations that bring the passion, expertise, and resources needed to get things done. That’s what it means to Live United.
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