Retired Highlands teacher Jody Shumaker still has a passion to educate.
The Harrison resident is working to bring back her wildly popular Book Walks in person at Riverview Memorial Park in Tarentum.
“We have done many of them there at the park, but none since covid-19,” Shumaker said. “They were a huge success, so we thought we’d like to go back again when it is safe and continue to make this an annual event.”
Tarentum Council approved the program, and it will tentatively resume in spring.
Shumaker is heading the event with the Tarentum Area Lion’s Club.
A Book Walk takes a little more than an hour and is aimed at preschool-aged children and their parents or caregivers.
“They are introduced to a selected book and then, moving in small groups, they are told or read the story page by page, traveling from one storyteller to the next,” Shumaker said.
The pages of the book will stretch from one end of the park to the other, creating a pleasant walk for everyone, council President Scott Dadowski said.
“In today’s day, anything to get the kids out is good,” he said.
As an administrator at Commonwealth Charter Academy, Dadowski said he supports community programs that engage children in literacy.
“For us to be able to have this kind of event in town, you couldn’t ask for a better setting,” he said. “The only thing we need is good weather.”
After the last page is read, participants will get a treat bag and a copy of the book.
Dates will be released in coming months.