Orangeburg County First Steps hosted its ninth annual First Steps Day on October 23 at Hillcrest Recreational Park, bringing together nearly 100 children and families for a celebration of literacy, movement, and community. Participants from programs such as Parents as Teachers, First Steps 4K, and the Orangeburg Area Development Center enjoyed a “field day” of games, dancing, a petting zoo, and interactive reading stations, while connecting with local vendors offering health, education, and family resources. 

“Our purpose is mainly to connect the children with a field of experience that is fun and engaging. They will have hands on learning with the petting zoo, crafts, music and movement. But, of course, we also have that focus on literacy,” said Kathy Jenkins, Executive Director of Orangeburg County First Steps. “We want literacy to be at the core of everything that we do.”

This year’s event coincided with Jumpstart’s Read for the Record, a national literacy initiative that encourages millions of people to read the same book on the same day. Families and classrooms gathered for a special story time featuring See Marcus Grow by Marcus Bridgewater, a joyful picture book about gardening and self-discovery. “The message of this book fits perfectly with our mission,” Jenkins said. “It’s about gardening and growing, and not just plants. We are growing children and nurturing curiosity and discovery.” 

Throughout the morning, families explored stations designed to show how learning can be hands-on and fun. Children drew, planted a pretend vegetable garden, danced to music, and interacted with farm animals, all while practicing key developmental skills through play and exploration. “We're hoping that families will take away the idea that learning comes in different shapes, forms, and fashions. It’s not just pen to pencil, sit and be quiet. There are different methods and modes that can be employed to encourage learning,” Jenkins said.

At one of the most popular stations, Parents as Teachers educators Sharee Porter and Debra Allison led a garden-themed art activity. Using recycled egg cartons, popsicle sticks, and seeds, children created miniature gardens to take home. “It’s so important to get kids excited about books and connect stories to real-life experiences,” Allison said. Each child also received a free copy of See Marcus Grow, an activity guide, and a small bag of seeds to plant their own garden.

Orangeburg County bookmobile manager Penny Irick distributed books, coloring pages, and information about the library’s in-house literacy programs. “Community events like this are how we reach new families,” she said. “Every time we hand a child a book, we’re planting a seed for lifelong learning.” 

Events like this also help community partners fine tune their programs as they learn firsthand what families in the community actually need. 

Hope Haynes from the Department of Social Services said, “This is a way of interreacting with families and getting their input. Events like these help us to better assist by sharing what we offer and hearing their feedback.” 

Looking ahead, Jenkins hopes to grow the celebration into a countywide event open to all families. “We’d love to make it even bigger next year,” she said. “Even still, we have something really special. It’s an opportunity for parents to take a pause and just spend some special time with their kiddos and create memories.” 

Orangeburg County's First Steps Day is a reflection of the organization’s mission in action: to support parents as their child’s first and most important teacher, and to help every child in Orangeburg start school ready to succeed.

Topics: Local Partnerships, Service