Walkability and Reading: How StoryWalks® are Transforming Maine Communities

Summary

Maine SNAP-Ed nutrition educators have collaborated with community partners to implement policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change initiatives that promote physical activity. StoryWalks® are a movement and literacy project that displays a children’s book, page by page, along a community walking route.¹ It has increased the use of walkable destinations, such as local trails, parks, and libraries.² Youth and their families can enjoy great literature while exploring walking routes in their neighborhoods and communities.

Strong partner support and buy-in fosters successful SNAP-Ed implementation and sustainability of StoryWalks across Maine. In 2023, 6 nutrition educators implemented StoryWalks in rural communities, partnering with:

• 8 schools, 
• 4 Head Starts/early care and education facilities (ECEs), 
• 1 public botanical garden, and 
• 1 library. 

They reached over 2,400 young Mainers and their families, located in 5 of Maine’s 16 counties.

Social & Community Context

Increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary behavior improves well-being. In Maine, 43% of youth report that they exercise, dance, or play sports for at least 60 minutes 5 days a week, and about 74% of adults report engaging in physical activity in the past month. Evidence shows that ongoing point-of-decision prompts like StoryWalks promote physical activity choices.³

StoryWalks increase community walkability, especially in rural areas where there are more barriers⁴ to physical activity, making them an important approach for promoting physical activity equity.⁵

Community Assets

Successful implementation of StoryWalks is dependent on collaboration and support from community organizations. These include the schools, Head Starts, libraries, and outdoor public spaces like arboretums that host the StoryWalks. One educator leveraged donated gift cards to purchase supplies for building the stations. The staff and clients of an organization that provides services to adults with developmental disabilities built 32 stations for another StoryWalk. Sites with permanent wooden stations ensure the sustainability of the environmental change by assuming responsibility for ongoing maintenance.

Collaborative Action

Educators built upon existing relationships with community partners and schools or established connections with new partners to implement StoryWalks. In addition to stations displaying the storybook pages, recipes and nutrition information are integrated into StoryWalks. For example, one StoryWalk featured the book Pumpkin Jack and included pumpkin recipes and donated pumpkins.

Educators apply an equity lens to their physical activity access work. Some StoryWalks were built on handicap accessible trails, while others made cultural connections using the books selected. Stories in 2023 included First Blade of Sweetgrass, with an Indigenous cultural connection, and Before We Eat, highlighting the community’s connection to farming.

Building on Strengths

The StoryWalks in 2023 reached over 2,400 youth and their families at 8 different sites. Notably, in-person SNAP-Ed health education curricula reached 1,144 (48%) of those youth, increasing the program’s impact through multi-level programming.

Community partners are ready to help ensure the success long term, with sustainability efforts in progress or in place for the StoryWalks. For example, the Porter Memorial Library has provided space for this project, and over three years’ worth of books have been sponsored by local businesses, organizations, and individuals. Viles Arboretum in Kennebec County has provided ongoing support for the StoryWalks at their public botanical garden, making their StoryWalks a part of their Children’s Forest Initiative.

Conclusion

Community-driven PSE change initiatives, such as Maine SNAP-Ed’s StoryWalks collaborations, aim to increase access to physical activity opportunities, specifically for youth in and out of school. Throughout Maine, SNAP-Ed is working to support community efforts to increase opportunities for physical activity. In 2024, an additional six StoryWalks were added to Maine SNAP-Ed’s community programming, reaching three new counties. Partner sites and communities provide funding, volunteer labor, construction materials, and sustainability support. This ensures these StoryWalks will remain a viable option for youth and their families to be more active in their communities.

The StoryWalk® at Porter Memorial Library has seen an outpouring of support from the library team and the community alike. Through the generous support of local businesses and residents of the Machias area, we have three years of books sponsored! This rotation of thoughtfully selected books ensures this project will be a staple on the library grounds for years to come.

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Washington County, Maine, Nutrition Educator