The Born Learning Trail is part of United Way’s School Readiness Initiative that falls under the Education Pillar, which is focused on helping children and youth achieve their academic potential. The purpose of the Trail is to help ensure that children enter school ready learn.
The concept of the Born Learning Trail comes from the United Way of America’s Born Learning public engagement campaign that helps parents, caregivers and communities take action to provide quality early learning opportunities for young children (for more information go to bornlearning.org). The Trail is a fun, easy way for parents, grandparents and caregivers to utilize an outing in the park to develop skills critical for school readiness. The Trail is a concrete path that has a series of signs with educational activities placed along the way. A Welcome Sign is placed at each trailhead as an introduction to the Born Learning Trail. There are nine learning activity signs with fun and easy activities for children and adults to do together.
The first Born Learning Trail was installed in 2009 at Anderson Park through a partnership between Teens United for McLean County, United Way of McLean County and the Town of Normal. The second Trail was installed in 2010 at Tipton Park in partnership with the City of Bloomington. In 2011, Teens United for McLean County partnered with the Lexington Park Board to install a Born Learning Trail at Keller Park in Lexington in late April.
In the spring of 2012, Teens United for McLean County and the City of Bloomington will install a Born Learning Trail at White Oak Park in Bloomington. The offical launch event is April 28, 2012 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. This event promises family fun, entertainment and activities centered around early childhood education. The event is preceeded by the Born Learning Trail White Oak Park 5K.
