PARTNERING FOR THE CHILDREN –– Bobbyjon Bauman, left, executive director of the Sycamore Youth Center, and John Kuhner, owner of Bookmarx bookstore, have formed a partnership aimed at helping local youth expand their love for reading and to provide a foundation of faith. -- Contributed

STEUBENVILLE — The power of a good story has a way of bringing a community together. And here, in the heart of Steubenville, a beautiful new chapter is being written. What’s more, it is all about the area’s youth.

A heartwarming partnership aimed at nourishing the minds and spirits of local children is blossoming at the Sycamore Youth Center thanks to an outpouring of support and an expanded collaboration with Bookmarx bookstore. The initiative has taken a significant step forward, as John Kuhner, owner of Bookmarx, donated 25 copies of “The Story of All Stories,” to the center. The children’s Bibles will be used at the center’s Sonshine Bible Club, which meets Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays during the winter/spring afterschool classes.

What makes this donation even more special is the deep-rooted local connection, as the Bibles were authored by Emily Stimpson Chapman of Steubenville. Chapman’s children have participated in Sycamore activities, making this a gift which has come full circle.

But the partnership doesn’t stop there, as Sycamore is furthering its ties with Bookmarx by launching three new weekly storytime classes. Sessions are designed to ignite imagination and foster a lifelong love of reading. Hosted by Shannon Monroe, a reader at the bookstore who has been sharing her passion for stories during reading activities at Bookmarx, will serve as the featured storyteller at Sycamore, according to Bobbyjon Bauman, Sycamore executive director.

Monroe will be joined by Rebekah Roundtree, a Bookmarx employee and will help guide children through the wonders of literature and reading comprehension. Bauman expressed his gratitude for the collaboration, noting it perfectly aligns with the center’s mission to support students academically, socially and spiritually.

PARTNERING FOR THE CHILDREN –– Shannon Monroe, an employee at Bookmarx, will serve as the featured storyteller during story time classes at Sycamore. -- Contributed

“We are absolutely thrilled to be working with Bookmarx on this initiative,” he shared. “This partnership allows us to increase childhood literacy while strengthening biblical literacy in a way that is engaging, age-appropriate and rooted in community. It’s especially meaningful to collaborate with a local bookstore and a local author who believe in investing in our children.”

Organizers believe the new literacy partnership is a natural extension of that commitment, offering a supportive environment where storytelling and faith-based teaching can go hand-in-hand.

As these two local staples join forces, the true winners will be every child who walks through the doors of Sycamore … ready to discover the magic hidden within the pages of a book.