Portsmouth Christian Academy Opens Storywalk® to Local Community

…engaging interactive experience as an alternative to Covid’s heavy screen time influence…

DOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE (November 13, 2020) – Portsmouth Christian Academy (PCA) announces the addition of an Autumn StoryWalk® to its campus, open to the public.      

Located just to the right of its Lower School building, PCA’s Autumn StoryWalk® is installed along the school’s McKeon Trail (Rabbit Trail), a nature trail that leads to a waterfront view of the Bellamy River, adjacent to PCA’s 50-acre campus and some of Dover’s wildlife preservation areas. 

PCA staff and faculty explored ways for the school to contribute to the local Dover community. PCA Head of School Mike Runey explains, “In this year of Covid—and especially now as we’re seeing cases increasing in our state and across the nation—we’re hearing that people are eager for opportunities to connect and engage in community. In a typical school year, we open to the public our theatre performances, speaker series, and special events. In the absence of those kinds of public events, our new StoryWalk® installment offers families a chance to engage in a fun activity with their children while also feeling confident that our outdoor, nature setting supports Covid health and safety measures.”  

PCA librarian Gina Henker says, “Social distancing and quarantine can create the potential for families to feel isolated at home or be caught up with hours of screen time. With this, it’s important to find ways to engage young learners through interactive experiences, especially ones where the whole family can be involved. We’re hoping that, with the resources we have, PCA can provide such an experience in this small way to our local community.” 

PCA’s librarians plan new StoryWalk® installments during the 20-21 school year. Announcements of new installments will be made on the school’s Web site, pcaschool.org. 

Henker continues, “We hope to do what we can to lend a positive impact on our local community. We want to welcome families to our campus and provide a resource where kids can stay engaged with reading and the outdoors through fun and safe ways, especially in this ongoing pandemic.”   

The entrance to PCA’s Autumn StoryWalk® at Rabbit Trail

PCA is welcoming families to its StoryWalk® located behind the soccer field just to the right of its Lower School, with hay bales and pumpkins marking the trail entrance. Visitors are welcome to check-in at the Lower School front desk during school hours or contact Praisye Yeo at pyeo@pcaschool.org for more information. Guests are expected to adhere to the State’s guidance on group gatherings, social distancing, and masking as needed. 

The StoryWalk® is an idea created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT, and developed with Rachel Senechal of Kellogg-Hubbard Library. It was created for families to simultaneously enjoy reading and the outdoors. A StoryWalk® consists of laminated pages from a children’s book attached to wooden stakes, then installed along an outdoor path. 


Portsmouth Christian Academy has been inspiring students on the Seacoast to maximize their potential for forty years. PCA provides a nurturing educational environment that emphasizes Christ-centered community, outstanding academics, differentiated learning, and exceptional character. Located just minutes northwest of Portsmouth, NH on a beautiful fifty-acre riverfront campus, PCA is a dually accredited, independent, college-preparatory, day school where young people from Massachusetts, Maine, and New Hampshire in Preschool through Grade 12 are challenged to thrive academically and grow as servant-leaders prepared to impact the world for good. For more information, fill out the form below.