Submitted by Child Care Action Council
If you’ve walked around the Garfield Elementary block this past fall, you’ve noticed the fresh paint of hopscotch and other images on the ground in several areas. This was the first stage of the installation of the Sense of Place Walk, implemented by Safe Kids Thurston Council, a program of the Child Care Action Council. This project was done in partnership with Intercity Transit’s Walk N Roll program and with support and funding from WA DOH and the TBI Council. The Child Care Action Council embraced this project in part to celebrate our 35 years of service to this wonderful community!
What is a Sense of Place Walk? Our Sense of Place Walk’s fun works of art and web content will inspire little bodies to thrive and hop, skip, jump, or stretch up to the sky!
In August, 18 volunteers from the Child Care Action Council, Capital Centennial Rotary, WA DOH, Brian King Agency, and members of the community risked gym shoes and manicures to spray paint 15 stencils around the Garfield Elementary block. There are a total of fourteen stations. Caregivers can start at the IT transit station (Transportation – Station 1) on Garfield Ave. and walking east, can turn left on Plymouth Avenue to see the second, third, fourth, and fifth stations. These station themes are Inclusion, Nature, Those that Were Here Before Us, and Garfield Elementary History, respectively. A left at Madison Avenue will take one to Station 6 (Environment), Station 7 (How We Get to School), and Station 8 (Let’s Move our Bodies). Another left turn at Thomas Street has Stations 9 (Community), Station 10 (WA State History), Station 11 (We are All Part of This World), Station 12 (Time), two stencils at Station 13 (Let’s Get Along), and Station 14 (Food). The sidewalk to the east of Station 14 takes families by the school garden and back to Station 1. One of the two stencils at Station 13 is located just inside the school gate – this Peace Path can be used during the school day by students and staff without leaving the campus.
Now QR markers have been freshly installed at each location! These QR codes will take caregivers to on-line content that will offer more insight, education, fun, and games coinciding with each station theme. You can view all Sense of Place Walk content and those who contributed at the SPW Landing Page.
CCAC hopes the Sense of Place Walk will make a sustainable impact on the community surrounding Garfield Elementary and at large by addressing and celebrating the diversity of our history, environment, and communities, and teaching even the youngest among us that this is a rich tapestry woven which makes our lives more vibrant and stronger for both our differences and those things we hold the same. The Sense of Place Walk will allow community members and visitors to learn about the diverse make up of our community and provide reflection on the natural, cultural, and built environments around us. The walk allows participation regardless of age or ability, as each marker will offer a variety of activities, lessons and/or concepts to ponder. Those enjoying any measure of the walk, will feel invited to be a part of the neighborhood make-up and understand the importance of every role each of us plays in the fabric of our unique area of the world. We are excited to bring this pilot program to Garfield Elementary and the Olympia area. We hope this will be the first of many.
