Laurens Electric Cooperative awarded a Community Impact Initiative grant to Laurens County First Steps for a StoryWalk® project in Joanna.
The nationwide StoryWalk® program is an interactive outdoor reading experience designed to promote literacy, physical activity, and family engagement. Laminated pages from children’s books are displayed at kiosks along a walking path, allowing families to enjoy a story together while exploring the outdoors.
Laurens County First Steps and other community partners created the first StoryWalk® in the county at the Joe R. Adair Outdoor Education Center in Laurens in 2024.
Since then, the organization has secured additional grant funding and held a fundraising campaign to expand the project to Joanna.
The award was presented to Laurens County First Steps Board Chair Olivia Crotts Bright at the Laurens County Chamber of Commerce annual banquet in February.
According to laurensfirststeps.org, “By exploring the StoryWalk®, children have the opportunity to read a story while being surrounded by the beauty of nature, making learning a truly enjoyable and immersive experience.”
Laurens County First Steps is a nonprofit organization that provides programs and resources that improve early childhood development, from before birth through age five.
Their vision is for every Laurens County child to enter school healthy and ready to succeed, by finding and empowering parents and caregivers to effectively serve as their child’s first teacher.
To learn more about the services offered by Laurens County First Steps, visit laurensfirststeps.org, or reach out at (864) 984-8130 or erable@laurens55.org.
Laurens Electric’s Community Impact Initiative provides grants up to $2000 intended to enrich the quality of life of citizens in the communities the cooperative serves. Funding for the initiative comes from Laurens Electric’s annual charity events.
Community members apply through their local Chambers of Commerce in Laurens, Mauldin, Simpsonville and Fountain Inn. Find out more about the program at laurenselectric.com/grant.
