The next time you visit the Brit Spaugh Zoo in Great Bend, you will see some fresh paint on the sidewalk as you enjoy all that the zoo has to offer.

United Way of Central Kansas enlisted the help of the Barton County Young Professionals to refresh the Born Learning Trail that was installed in 2014.

A Born Learning Trail is an interactive, playful and visible community engagement tool. It captures 10 fun outdoor games on an engaging signs and painted displays on the sidewalk to help create learning opportunities for a children ages 2-5. The trail is installed along a path at the zoo.

This project was originally sponsored by The Thelma Faye Harms Trust, Barton County Young Professionals, the City of Great Bend, and UWCK.

Refreshing the paint will keep it alive for many years, encouraging active learning for children, said Charell Owings, UWCK executive director. Funds raised annually by the United Way of Central Kansas support the continued upkeep of this project.

“We are deeply grateful for our partnership with Barton County Young Professionals,” Owings said. “We have been fortunate enough to work with them not only on the Born Learning Trail, but also Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and Literacy Kits. They also support many of our community partners and non-profits across the county. We are lucky to have them in our community.” 

The Born Learning Trail supports language, literacy, and social skills development, and reminds us that learning can be fun. The 10 interactive signs contain activities for adults to engage in with young children. They are designed to help parents and caregivers support early learning, get active, and promote active learning in nature.