Learn history, environment, and diversity through the Sense of Place Walk

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To celebrate 35 years of serving Thurston County, the Child Care Action Council (CCAC) offered the Sense of Place Walk project, which aims to give children – and grownups - a fun way to be physically active and acquire knowledge through walking around the Garfield Elementary block.

Safe Kids Thurston Council, a Child Care Action Council program, implements the Sense of Place Walk.

According to the information shared with The JOLT, by Olympia's Storm and Surface Water Utility senior program specialist, Susan McCleary, the Sense of Place Walk allows community members and visitors to learn about the diverse makeup of the community and provide a reflection on the natural, cultural, and environment.

"The walk allows participation regardless of age or ability,” McCleary said, adding, “as each marker will offer a variety of activities, lessons, and concepts to ponder."

"The 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," said Danielle King, who took the lead in implementing the project.

There are 14 stations where colorful images were spray-painted on walkways with QR markers that will take people to online content, which offers insight, education, fun, and games with each station theme.

Fun stations

King said 18 volunteers from CCAC and different government and community organizations helped spray paint stenciled images on walkways around the elementary school.

The 14 stations start at the IT transit station (Transportation – Station 1) on Garfield Avenue. The second, third, fourth and fifth stations can be found on Plymouth Avenue.

These station themes are inclusion, nature, 'those that were here before us,' and Garfield Elementary history.

Station 6 is on Madison Avenue with an environmental theme. 'How we get to school' is Station 7's theme and Station 8 with 'Let's move our bodies.'

McCleary said she helped provide content for the environmental theme.

Thomas Street has Stations 9 (Community), 10 (Washington State History), 11 (We are All Part of This World), and 12 (Time). There are two stencils at Station 13 (Let's Get Along) and Station 14 (Food).

According to McCleary, the sidewalk east of Station 14 takes families by the school garden and back to Station 1. One of the two stencils at Station 13 is inside the school gate.

Stations

Station 1: How We Get Around Town

Station 2: Inclusion

Station 3: Nature

Station 4: Those That Were Here Before Us

Station 5: Garfield Elementary School

Station 6: Environment

Station 7: How We Get To School

Station 8: Let’s Move Our Bodies

Station 9: Community Spaces

Station 10: Washington State History

Station 11: We Are All Part Of This World

Station 12: Time

Station 13: Getting Along

Station 14: What We Eat And How We Get It

This project was done in partnership with Intercity Transit's Walk n' Roll program and with support and funding from the Washington Department of Health and the Washington Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Advisory Council.

"CCAC hopes the Sense of Place Walk makes 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," stated CACC in their press release.

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