About Read and Hike Idaho
Read & Hike Idaho is a literacy and outdoor learning project that connects Idaho trails with books, family activities, and nature-based learning resources. The project is designed to help families, schools, and libraries use local outdoor spaces as places for reading, exploring, wondering, and learning together.
Connection to Libraries and Family Engagement
Libraries help connect families with stories, resources, and community learning opportunities. Read & Hike Idaho extends that work beyond the library walls by pairing books with local trails and simple activities families can do together. The project supports shared reading, family conversation, and meaningful outdoor experiences.
Capstone Connection
Read & Hike Idaho was created as part of my Master of Library and Information Science capstone project. This project brings together my interests in children’s librarianship, family engagement, outdoor learning, and community-based library resources. It is designed to support families and libraries by making literacy experiences more connected, accessible, and place-based.
Sponsor/Partner
This project was developed with support and guidance from Hailey Public Library and my children’s librarian sponsor. I am grateful for the encouragement, feedback, and community connection that helped shape Read & Hike Idaho into a resource for families, schools, and libraries.
Why Outdoor Literacy Matters
Outdoor literacy encourages children and families to build connections between stories, nature, and the world around them. When families read together and then explore outside, children have opportunities to ask questions, make observations, build vocabulary, and develop a deeper sense of curiosity and connection.
Why Idaho Trails Are a Meaningful Learning Spaces
Idaho trails offer rich learning opportunities through mountains, lakes, forests, wildlife, and seasonal changes. These natural spaces invite children to notice details, wonder about their environment, and connect books to real places. Trails become outdoor classrooms where families can learn through movement, observation, conversation, and shared experience.
Project Goals
The goals of Read & Hike Idaho are to support family literacy, encourage outdoor exploration, and connect books with place-based learning. The project provides free resources for families, schools, and libraries while promoting curiosity, stewardship, and a deeper appreciation for Idaho’s natural spaces.