Great Start Collaborative plans 'StoryWalk' for Saturday at Hillsdale farmers market

On Saturday, Great Start Collaborative will host its fourth annual "StoryWalk" in downtown Hillsdale.

As part of the Hillsdale farmers market, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., up to 100 Hillsdale County families have the opportunity to take a storybook adventure through Hillsdale County Courthouse Square. 

Participating children will receive a goody bag, a take-home activity, a snack and a $5 coupon to use at Hillsdale’s Farmers Market. They also will get to select a children’s book to take home.

Stefanie Rathburn is collaborative director of Great Start Collaborative and said the event is organized to promote literacy in the Hillsdale community.

“It’s intended to promote literacy and bring families out to a community event such as the farmers market,” Rathburn said, “With a secondary goal of promoting fresh nutritional choices.”

The featured book of the event is "Not Your Typical Dragon," by Dan Bar-el. 

Families who visit the event will listen to the story being read at different stations by volunteers from community partner organizations of Great Start.

Rathburn said that the volunteers come from many different organizations.

Volunteers who make the event a success include staff from Hillsdale County Intermediate school District, Community Action Agency, Jonesville District Library, Michigan Works, Will Carleton, Great Start Collaborative, members of Great Start Parent Coalition and possibly more.

The event was planned by the literacy subcommittee of Great Start after receiving concerning data about Hillsdale County children’s reading competency scores.

“The hope is to start early and instill a love of books, which will lead to future literacy success,” Rathburn said.

Rathburn said although attendance by families has been good in past years, this year they hope it will grow even more, as additional vendors from the farmers market participate.