Conway Corp. employees install early learning trail

Conway Corp. employees created an outdoor interactive early learning trail at the Tucker Creek Walking Trail on Wednesday as a part of United Way’s Week of Action.

The trail is geared to help parents, grandparents and caregivers turn excursions into fun learning moments for young children.

The Born Learning Trail is a series of learning activities that any adult can play with young children to boost language and literacy development in outdoor everyday moments.

“Conway Corp. is dedicated to this community. We live here, and so do our children. We’ve always been supporters of education, and we hope the Born Learning Trail will help our community do even more to get kids off to the right start,” said Conway Corporation CEO Richard Arnold.

There are 10 signs on the Born Learning Trail installed on and around the sidewalk leading to the pavilion at Tucker Creek. Each sign includes words and activities. A hopscotch, shapes and ABCs were also painted on the sidewalk and correspond with some of the signs.

For example, Watch! Stop! Learn! Play! encourage the caregiver to follow the child’s lead, building the child’s curiosity and confidence and reinforcing the learning already under way, Arnold said.

“Research tells us our children are literally born learning,” United Way Director Amy Blaylock said. “That means five years of education take place before they ever enter kindergarten.

“The Born Learning Trail promotes fun and games, important components of early childhood learning. We want to help parents, grandparents to use everyday outings — including trips to the Tucker Creek Walking Trail — to support that learning.”

For more information on the Born Learning Trail, visit www.bornlearning.org.