SCASD Librarians Bring the Appalachian Trail to State College This Weekend

It usually takes more than half a year for individuals to complete an Appalachian Trail experience. Local families will need just a weekend for the same — thanks to State College Area School District librarians.

On Saturday and Sunday, the library department will hold “State to State: Hike the Appalachian Trail Across SCASD,” part of this year’s SCASD Reads (#ScasdREADS) campaign, “Read It, Walk It, SCASD Libraries on the Trail.” The campaign this spring has featured the books “Grandma Gatewood’s Walk,” an account of Emma Gatewood’s historic solo AT hike as a 67-year-old grandmother in 1955, for State High students; “The Unlikely Thru-Hiker,” Derick Lugo’s memoir about traversing the trail as a novice African-American hiker from Brooklyn, for middle school students; and “Grandma Gatewood Hikes the Appalachian Trail,” a children’s book read to elementary students on May 3, the date Gatewood began the first of her three AT hikes.

During the weekend event, district schools as well as Memorial Field and the Panorama Village Administrative Center will represent the 14 states along the trail, from Maine to Georgia. Each stop along the “trail” will have an exterior display with facts and challenges about the respective state especially geared toward elementary students. Displays will include a QR Code families can use to access a map with directions to each location.

SCASD’s version of the trail consists of Mount Nittany Elementary (Maine), Mount Nittany Middle (New Hampshire), Panorama Village (Vermont), Spring Creek Elementary (Massachusetts), Easterly Parkway (Connecticut), Memorial Field (New York), Delta Program (New Jersey), State High (Pennsylvania), Corl Street (Maryland), Radio Park (West Virginia), Park Forest Elementary (Virginia), Park Forest Middle (Tennessee), Gray’s Woods Elementary (North Carolina) and Ferguson Township Elementary (Georgia).

Families can visit the states at their convenience, however many they wish and whatever order they prefer. From 2-4 p.m. each day at Radio Park Elementary, they can join others outdoor to learn more about the AT, register their hike, collect a wooden keepsake made by a district librarian for the occasion, enjoy readings of “Grandma Gatewood Hikes the Appalachian Trail,” and explore the school’s nature-based playground while masked and socially distanced.

SCASD Reads marks an extension of the annual State High Reads campaign, begun in 2011-2012 by retiring State High librarian Lois Scarangella to share a common reading experience, promote understanding of different points of view, and exchange ideas among students, staff and community members. The debut book was “The Book Thief.”

For this year’s campaign, the library staff chose the AT theme to celebrate outdoor adventure, courage and perseverance for students after a difficult year of coping with the pandemic. In addition to the books, this year’s campaign included AT-themed library displays, virtual author visits by Lugo, online tours of the trail using interactive sources, and a virtual AT hike via Google Earth for middle school students who progressed by logging in miles walked locally.

Chris Rosenblum is communications director for State College Area School District.