(03/21/25) INNIS, La. — Behind a library in the community of Innis, Louisiana, a new colorful story walk lines the sidewalk. Children and parents have the opportunity to stay healthy by strolling or running along with the story as the library tries to bring more people through its doors.

This project came to fruition through the efforts of Breanna Staab, one of many LSU AgCenter agents who are giving communities new options to stay healthy and active. Agents from around the state have been trying to implement projects like story walks and gardens in local communities to educate and improve the lives of those living there.

The story walk in Innis, which is in Pointe Coupee Parish, was put together by Staab to give the community somewhere to both exercise and learn. The community is small and does not have a lot of fitness options, so this was the perfect opportunity to provide it with a service that would be needed, she said.

“It'll give a positive, safe place for people to walk, for kids to go, for families to go. And it's free. So there is no excuse for not being able to afford a gym membership or something,” Staab said. “There will always be signs out there. There will always be a book in the case.”

In the AgCenter’s Northeast Region, agents have been adding “read and ride bikes” to public libraries and schools to encourage children to both read and exercise. These bikes are stationary and have a desk over them to allow a user to read while biking.

Quincy Vidrine, the regional nutrition and community health coordinator, said the program, while still growing, has seen an impressive amount of use across the six parishes that are participating.

“The library patrons who are there a lot, they have indicated to us for the library directors it's something new and exciting,” Vidrine said. “They like seeing people reading and riding and they like doing it themselves.”

The Living Well Foundation in Ouachita Parish has funded this project, which is now in place in Caldwell, Franklin, Ouachita, Richland, Morehouse and Washington parishes. Many of the institutions that have exercise bikes encourage families to use them together and give children incentives to read as much as they can on the bikes.

On the west side of the state in Vernon Parish, AgCenter agent Justine Ramsey has been working to make an impact as well. In the small city of Leesville, Ramsey has been able to put down a few stencils to encourage healthy exercise and engagement.

The first one she completed was at Dogwood Park, and the stencils included an alphabet snake and a hopscotch sunflower. She also worked at Vernon Middle School and painted 10 stencils with the help of eight volunteers.

At the school, the stencils were made to improve motor skill coordination, balance and sensory development. They also made a few hopscotch games, including one outside a classroom designated for students with individualized education programs.

Most recently, Ramsey and some volunteers painted stencils at the Vernon Parish Library, also in Leesville. There, they added different animal footprints leading to the front doors, giving children a fun and educational walk up to the library. She hopes that additions like this will lead to more support for community programs and volunteers.

“I hope it gives them community pride. The idea, of course, is to be a little bit more physically active. So that would be priority No. 1 if people come out and use this as physical activity. But also, it adds some color to the parks and libraries, and I feel people might see that and say, ‘Oh, this is exciting. Our community's doing things. I like this,’” Ramsey said. “And one day, maybe they’ll want to volunteer too for one of these community projects that we're doing.”

Volunteers paint a snake stencil at Dogwood Park in Vernon Parish under the guidance of LSU AgCenter agent Justine Ramsey. Photo provided by Justine Ramsey/LSU AgCenter

A stencil is painted outside a classroom at Vernon Middle School. Photo provided by Justine Ramsey/LSU AgCenter