FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas Medical Sciences Office of Community Health & Research worked with Springdale EAST students and the City of Springdale to install a StoryWalk at Murphy Park.
A StoryWalk is a literacy-boosting project that separates and enlarges the pages of a children’s book and displays them on a walking path, encouraging participants to continue the story while also engaging in physical activity.
UAMS worked with the Springdale Parks and Recreation Department and the Education Accelerated by Service and Technology (EAST) students at Springdale’s Westwood Elementary and Helen Tyson Middle School to locate the venue for the project, design the podium mounts for the enlarged pages, and promote the project. UAMS also worked with Community Clinic to help with outreach for the project.
“We are very proud to be a part of the StoryWalk project because it allows Northwest Arkansas children to build strong community relationships while also encouraging physical activity and reading for both children and adults,” said Sarah Moore, Assistant Director of Programs in the Office of Community Health & Research. “We are planning to build more StoryWalks in the future so more people can be a part of this wonderful project.”
The StoryWalk project was revealed in May of 2022 and changes books each month. UAMS is also planning to install another StoryWalk in anotherpark later this year.
Murphy Park is located at 501 S. Pleasant Street in Springdale.
The UAMS Office of Community Health and Research is committed to creating a better state of health for all. We seek to identify and understand health needs through research and programs, and work to create an environment where every person has access to their best health. We do this through community-engaged research and programs focused on reducing health disparities through healthy food systems, food equity, family programs, diabetes and cardiometabolic disease prevention and management, community-based health programs and evaluation. For more information about the UAMS Office of Community Health and Research, visit nwa.uams.edu/chr.
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute and Institute for Digital Health & Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. U.S. News & World Report recognized UAMS Medical Center as a Best Hospital for 2021-22; ranked its ear, nose and throat program among the top 50 nationwide for the third year; and named five areas as high performing — colon cancer surgery, diabetes, hip replacement, knee replacement and stroke. UAMS has 3,047 students, 873 medical residents and fellows, and six dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 11,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.
The UAMS Northwest Regional Campus includes 288 medical, pharmacy, nursing and health professions students, 64 medical and pharmacy residents, two sports medicine fellows, and 1,000 community-based faculty. The campus has nine clinics including a student-led clinic and physical, occupational and speech therapy. Faculty conduct research to reduce health disparities. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.