MULLICA HILL — Women United, an affinity group of the United Way of Gloucester County, has partnered with the Rotary Club of Mullica Hill to install a Born Learning Trail at the William Wilt Complex in Mullica Hill.
The trail was installed by the Harrison Township Recreation Commission, and a ribbon cutting ceremony was held to celebrate the Trail on Oct. 16.
The Born Learning Trail is a series of 10 interactive signs that offer fun, engaging learning activities for young children and their families. It helps parents, grandparents and caregivers create quality engagement opportunities.
The signs encourage children to learn from their surroundings by using their senses and critical thinking skills. For example, a hopscotch station can help children learn to identify numbers and colors, while another section of the trail is designed to help them learn shapes.
Other signs encourage families to tell stories about what they see in the park or compare the plants around them.
“We are thrilled to work with the Rotary Club of Mullica Hill to bring a Born Learning Trail to Mullica Hill,” said Steffanie Lerch, Chair of Women United. “The Trail is designed to boost school readiness for preschool children, and it is one of our goals [at Women United] to install a trail in each town in Gloucester County.”
“It’s wonderful to see a third Born Learning Trail installed in Gloucester County,” said Michael Gower, Executive Director of the United Way of Gloucester County. “The Trails truly help promote increased language, reading and problem-solving skills in young children, and Women United has been working diligently to forge the necessary partnerships to bring more Born Learning Trails to our communities.”
Harrison Township Mayor Lou Manzo, Committee members Julie DeLaurentis and Jeffrey Jacques, Township Administrator Mark Gravinese, Recreation Coordinator Sharon Chew, and members of the Harrison Township Recreation Commission were in attendance, as well as representatives from Women United, the Rotary Club of Mullica Hill, and United Way of Gloucester County.
The first Trail was installed in March 2016 at Autumn Pasquale Memorial Park in Clayton. The second Trail is at Wing-Dickerson Park in Woodbury and came to fruition thanks to the partnership between the Greater Woodbury Chamber of Commerce, the FAF Coalition and United Way of Gloucester County.
Women United is an affinity group of the United Way of Gloucester County but operates independently. Established locally in 2008, Women United has brought together a team of leadership volunteers who bring the vision, energy, talent, resources and initiative to improve lives in our community and create lasting change.
Women United is dedicated to ensuring that women’s issues are being adequately addressed and funded, and that children in our community have access to the tools they need to attain academic success. The organization’s goal is to concentrate on critical issues facing women today that will promote confidence and independence through financial literacy, mentoring and volunteerism. For more information, please visit uwgcnj.org/community-investment/community-initiatives.
For additional information on Women United of Gloucester County, email Donna Fanticola at donnafanticola@uwgcnj.org.
