Colorado Explorer Campaign Uses AR Gaming to Get Kids Outside
Bridget O'Rourke
Parks and public spaces across Colorado engage kids in free indoor and outdoor learning experiences using their phones.
DENVER – In an effort to offer free and fun outdoor experiences, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is partnering with the Town of Erie, Castle Rock Parks and Trails Foundation, City of Brighton Parks and Rec, Chimney Rock National Monument, Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Forest Service to encourage outdoor exploration and learning using a familiar tool almost everyone has in their back pocket, their smartphone. The Colorado Explorer Campaign uses Agents of Discovery®, an educational technology platform that enables educators to create their own augmented reality games - think Pokemon Go for parks and education.The Colorado Explorer Campaign will run from May 31 - July 14, 2024. Anyone can join by downloading the free Agents of Discovery mobile app and completing “Missions” or themed activities at participating locations. Each Mission comprises of short, educational “Challenges” that teach players about local nature, history, culture, ecosystems, safety, and more. For example, at Cheyenne Mountain State Park, players can learn about the pollinators in the park and how they contribute to Colorado’s ecosystem. Players can earn campaign mascot stickers at participating locations, and once completing three different missions, logged-in players are eligible for prize drawings.
“We are excited to be part of this collaborative project that expands our outdoor education programs and encourages people to live life outside and explore our Colorado state parks in new, fun, and engaging ways,” said CPW Statewide Interpretation & Wildlife Viewing Coordinator Mary McCormac. “Why not use the technology most of us have with us to learn about the world around us?”
Missions take place in the following cities and parks: Chimney Rock National Monument, Town of Erie, City of Brighton, Town of Castle Rock, Barr Lake State Park, Cherry Creek State Park, Cheyenne Mountain State Park, Crawford State Park, John Martin Reservoir State Park, Highline State Park, Lake Pueblo State Park, Jackson Lake State Park, Ridgway State Park, Staunton State Park, Steamboat Lake State Park, St. Vrain State Park, Salida, and Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area, Pike and San Isabel National Forest. For more information, visit the Agents of Discovery Colorado Explorer website.
“Now that school is out of session, we love Agents of Discovery because it allows kids and their parents to burn off some energy and learn about nature and stewardship simultaneously,” said McCormac. “The self-guided exploration approach of Agents also helps visitors learn and engage with Colorado’s outdoors at their own pace.”
To download the free Agents of Discovery app, go to Google Play or the App Store. Once downloaded, find the Missions near you and download them before heading out. No data or WiFi is required to play a Mission once downloaded.
About Agents of Discovery
Agents of Discovery, winner of the 2020 Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals Excellence Award, is an innovative educational tech platform that utilizes web, mobile, and the latest augmented reality technologies to get kids active and learning about the world around them. Agents of Discovery provides educators a unique way to gamify information, incentivizing kids to be active while learning and exploring. The easy-to-use ‘Mission Maker’ allows educators to pull Challenges from their extensive Agency Library or create customized content for their site. Educators can then easily publish Missions for players to complete on their devices. For more information, visit www.agentsofdiscovery.com.
Keep Colorado Wild Pass
Colorado residents can get a $29 Keep Colorado Wild Pass with their annual vehicle registration to help fund wildlife conservation and educational programs across the state. Learn more at cpw.info/keepcoloradowild and cpw.info/keepcoloradowildpassspanish.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is an enterprise agency, relying primarily on license sales, state parks fees and registration fees to support its operations, including: 43 state parks and more than 350 wildlife areas covering approximately 900,000 acres, management of fishing and hunting, wildlife watching, camping, motorized and non-motorized trails, boating and outdoor education. CPW's work contributes approximately $6 billion in total economic impact annually throughout Colorado.