Evaluation of a Playful, Learning-Rich Story Trails Pilot in Philadelphia. Final Report
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| Title: | Evaluation of a Playful, Learning-Rich Story Trails Pilot in Philadelphia. Final Report |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Anne Partika, Emma Terrell, Sarah Gerard, SRI Education |
| Source: | SRI Education, a Division of SRI International. 2025. |
| Availability: | SRI International. 333 Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025. Tel: 650-859-2000; e-mail: customer.service@sri.com; Web site: https://www.sri.com/ |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 51 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | William Penn Foundation |
| Document Type: | Reports - Research Tests/Questionnaires |
| Descriptors: | Emergent Literacy, Childrens Literature, Parks, Educational Benefits, Learner Engagement, Interaction, Reading Strategies, Program Evaluation |
| Geographic Terms: | Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) |
| Abstract: | Starting in fall 2024, "Too Small to Fail" and KABOOM! piloted playful, learning-rich Story Trails in five public parks across Philadelphia. These literacy-rich walking paths use panels from children's books followed by playful tactile activities to support early literacy in everyday park experiences. To assess how families used the Story Trails and whether the installations effectively support playful, learning-rich experiences, SRI Education conducted a formative evaluation from fall 2024 through summer 2025. The Story Trails pilot evaluation focused on associations between the program strategies and the short-term outcomes--caregiver beliefs about play, child-caregiver interaction, and community engagement. Specifically, we aimed to examine Story Trails strategies and short-term outcomes by addressing two sets of research questions: implementation research questions, which examined how Story Trails strategies are enacted through families' interactions with Story Trails; and short-term outcome research questions, which examined how Story Trails support playful, learning-rich interactions and community engagement compared to sites without Story Trails. |
| Abstractor: | ERIC |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | ED679889 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Starting in fall 2024, "Too Small to Fail" and KABOOM! piloted playful, learning-rich Story Trails in five public parks across Philadelphia. These literacy-rich walking paths use panels from children's books followed by playful tactile activities to support early literacy in everyday park experiences. To assess how families used the Story Trails and whether the installations effectively support playful, learning-rich experiences, SRI Education conducted a formative evaluation from fall 2024 through summer 2025. The Story Trails pilot evaluation focused on associations between the program strategies and the short-term outcomes--caregiver beliefs about play, child-caregiver interaction, and community engagement. Specifically, we aimed to examine Story Trails strategies and short-term outcomes by addressing two sets of research questions: implementation research questions, which examined how Story Trails strategies are enacted through families' interactions with Story Trails; and short-term outcome research questions, which examined how Story Trails support playful, learning-rich interactions and community engagement compared to sites without Story Trails. |
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