About
Geocaching, at its most basic, is really simple. It is a real-world treasure hunt, requiring the use of a GPS-enabled device, in which players find containers hidden by other players and, occasionally, hide their own. What people might do at the cache, or do with it, or exchange with its content, varies greatly, turning geocaching less into a distinct activity than a medium supporting a wide range of other activities. While created years before these current buzzwords, the educational use of gecoaching can bring together blended learning, geolocative gaming, user-generated content, and mobile learning. For this project, funded by the Hive NYC Learning Network, groups of Global Kids youth leaders coordinate with youth from the Brooklyn Public Library to learn about geocaching, local electoral politics, and then create geocaching activities within a particular community that educate players about local electoral issues and the upcoming election.