Carrollton Greenbelt visitors strolling along Buffalo Creek will notice a new feature added to the landscape — reading stations designed to boost a Carrollton City Schools priority focus – literacy. 

Dubbed Literacy Lane, the initiative was the brainchild of Carrollton High School Band Director, Chris Carr, who is a member of the Aspiring Leaders program for Carrollton City Schools.

The reading stations showcase pages in the book “A Trojan Tale,” a book produced four years ago through a collaborative effort between students — and a few adults – celebrating the “City of Dreams.”

“The project was based on the national phenomenon of a StoryWalk, which is a way to combine physical activity with literacy and reading engagement,” said Carr. “Our mission was for Literacy Lane to border our campus and the Greenbelt to promote early literacy and reading engagement within our community.”

Carr said he hopes Literacy Lane serves as an educational break from classroom walls for elementary students. 

“Kids can visit Literacy Lane by accessing the Greenbelt from the bridge which crosses Buffalo Creek near CES,” he said. “On their way to Literacy Lane, they can enjoy the information provided by our STREAM team about Buffalo Creek and the local flora and fauna. We hope that students will share the experience and ask their families to visit and have the opportunity to read as a family.”

Carrollton City Schools Director of School Improvement Karen Wild said the sustainability of Literacy Lane is being discussed. 

“We are in the process of writing a second book as a school system that focuses on our STREAM initiative,” she said. “We expect it will be published in the coming year and may be used in Literacy Lane in the future.”

In addition to Carr, other members of this Aspiring Leaders project are Shannon Bright, CHS teacher; Rikki Chandler, CCS literacy specialist; and Kaley Blankinship, Carrollton Upper Elementary School teacher.

Carrollton City Schools Aspiring Leaders program is a competitive leadership model for PK-12 teachers in Carrollton City Schools. The two-year program provides leadership development opportunities and addresses core competencies identified as critical needs for leaders in Carrollton City Schools. While participating, Aspiring Leaders receive support to develop in-depth knowledge of all aspects of a school district and implement a self-identified project, demonstrating their own leadership capacity.