Penrose Recreation Center’s new Story Trail celebrates the power of community storytelling
Gray skies couldn’t dampen the spirit of celebration at Penrose Recreation Center in North Philly as it welcomed an exciting new addition destined to spark literacy and playful learning for families in the community. On a day filled with laughter, community, and a love of stories, a ribbon-cutting ceremony unveiled the vibrant new Story Trail. This installation encourages family literacy and transforms the heart of the rec center into a space where words, imagination, and learning thrive.
Designed in collaboration with local author and artist Andre Chaney, the Story Trail is a testament to the creative energy of the neighborhood's youth. As part of an ambitious project led by KABOOM!, Too Small to Fail, Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, Read by 4th, and Playful Learning Landscapes Action Network (PLAN), this installation is one of several storytelling trails around the city that blend literacy with play to create lasting community-driven educational spaces.
A Community-Crafted Story
At the heart of this project are the children and families of Penrose Rec Center, who worked closely with artist Andre Chaney, and expert community connectors, Phoebe Bachman, Alyssa Young, and Clinton Drees to create their very own story, one that will live on in the neighborhood. Through a series of storytelling workshops, Andre crafted a story to capture and celebrate their words. This dynamic collaboration exemplifies a growing movement that merges literacy with community engagement, giving young people the opportunity to see their voices reflected in their surroundings.
“The Story Trail that you see here comes from the minds and imaginations of this rec center’s community... Community is power. Community is wisdom.”
Clinton Drees
Director of Community Engagement for Read by 4th
Clinton’s words echoed the sentiment that the real strength of this initiative comes from the people it serves. “We all know in the kind of work that we do that power and wisdom is what we get from the community.”
The children, in particular, had a direct hand in shaping the narrative, contributing ideas and memories that will now be immortalized on the trail. The playful details, like an ice cream truck that was so important to one young contributor, were seamlessly woven into the story, showcasing the creativity and care that went into every part of the project.
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Penrose’s Story Trail is just one of several installations around the city. Elizabeth Cieri, Director of Program Design and Development at Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, emphasized the scale of this unique initiative’s impact: “Story Trails represents a dynamic fusion of literacy, play, and community. These installations provide families with opportunities to share stories, engage in brain-building activities, and create lasting memories in our local parks and recreation centers.”
Thanks to the generous funding provided by the William Penn Foundation, Story Trails have been popping up in neighborhoods like Mount Airy, South Philly, and West Fairmount Park, transforming public spaces into interactive playful learning hubs. These installations were part of William Penn Foundation’s Literacy-Rich Environments (LRE) Initiative that activated a diverse array of learning partners across the City of Philadelphia to infuse literacy-rich opportunities and experiences in informal learning settings and everyday spaces.
Creative Resilience
A central figure in this celebration was the Story Trail’s author, Andre Chaney, who brought the community’s ideas to life. His personal journey to this moment was both inspiring and heart-wrenching. Andre shared with the crowd how he took a break from the project after losing his mother unexpectedly. “When I did, I honestly was almost guaranteed that they would have to move on because we all have deadlines and goals. But... they didn’t,” he recounted, expressing gratitude to the project partners for their patience and support during a difficult time.
Artist Andre Chaney honors his late mother in a deeply personal way, embedding the date of her passing within the installation.
Andre’s work is now a permanent part of the Penrose community, filled with what speaker Julia Miller, Program Manager at PLAN, described as “gateways to the imagination, literacy, and caregiver-child interaction.” Andre’s illustrations, infused with hidden treasures or “Easter eggs” inspired by the children’s stories, reflect the joy and creativity of the neighborhoods he worked with. These playful features, combined with interactive elements, create a multi-sensory experience for families to feel the power of play.
A New Chapter for Learning
As the ribbon was cut, the event opened a new chapter—one where community, literacy, and play are at the heart of everyday life at Penrose Rec Center. This story is a testament to the powerful impact of bringing people together to invest in the future of our children, as Siri aptly said, “These Story Trails will bring joy, learning, and connection to families throughout Philadelphia, and we are really excited to see the lasting impact that they have.”
With the rain finally giving way to sunshine, the families of Penrose were invited to explore, play, and engage with their new Story Trail—a symbol of what can be achieved when communities come together to build something meaningful.
And as Andre Chaney so beautifully put it, “These stories will live with them forever.”
