Welcome to iAmYes Joyful Projects
Coming Soon to Lincoln Park, Bradenton, FL!
On Tuesday, August 22, 2023, the Manatee County Commissioners unanimously approved the installation of a Soar in 4 Story Walk at Lincoln Park. This initiative funded by The iAmYes! Project by Amy and Steve Weinberger will bring literacy into a park setting. Families will have the opportunity to read story panels from the book "A Walk in the Forest" by Maria Dek.
Weinberger learned about story book trails from a newspaper article her husband came across while they were vacationing in Maine and thought this would be perfect for one of Manatee County’s parks. So she reached out to Soar in 4 Manatee's Director, Sheila Halpin, who connected with Manatee Education Foundation, the School Board of Manatee and Manatee County to get this done collaboratively.
The collaborative partnership between Soar in 4, the Manatee County School Board, and Manatee County government will empower families to be their child's first literacy teacher by providing literacy resources, engaging activities and providing county parks information. The story panels will include a qr code linking families to Otocast, a free app, that will provide an audio translation of the story in multiple languages with additional family literacy skills. County Commissioners expressed hope that this collaborative early literacy initiative will be expanded to other park settings.
FYI: A Walk in the Forest is one of 36 Soar in 4 books that were chosen by the community with the support of the Manatee County Libraries. The One Book, One Community initiative allowed community members to nominate their favorite children's books. This allows children and families to read and discuss a particular book with supporting activities that are held at Soar in 4 and library events. Commissioner Amanda Ballard chose the book A Walk in the Forest from the Soar in 4 list for the first story walk.
Multiple languages: English, Spanish, French
Empowering Communities Through Support
Lincoln Middle School Drumline
The drum line from Lincoln Middle School created the opening excitement as they marched down the sidewalk passed the Storybook Trail to open the ribbon cutting ceremony. They were animated, bright, and in rhythmic cadence as the sky drizzled with a light rain.
The Soarn4 Team that made it happen!
Amy Falk Weinberger, Founder of IAmYes Joyful Projects, sponsor of the frames and panels, was honored to cut the ribbon. She told the audience if you have the passion, you can make things happen.
Stop by and read Maria Dek’s "A Walk in the Forest" at 501 17th St E, Palmetto—open sunrise to sunset.
Honoring our community members
Honoring our community members
The story is presented in both English and Spanish. The beautiful women next to Amy is who was chosen to read the book in Spanish which can be heard on from the Otocast app download!
Guests at the Ribbon Cutting
Guests at the Ribbon Cutting
Honoring our community members
Beautiful humans, Dr. G., principal at Visible Men Academy and Shelly Dorfman, expert reading specialists, and friends of Amy dropped by for the ceremony.
Colleagues & Friends!
Guests at the Ribbon Cutting
Colleagues & Friends!
Leadership Florida, Class Six, friend and colleague, Jessica Maxon-Berrier, also stopped by for fanfare and excited moment of the opening of the Storybook Trail at Lincoln Park.