Heritage Abbotsford is bringing a new innovative educational program to Trethewey House this fall.
The Agents of Discovery program, which won the National Association for Interpretation’s Interpretive Media Awards in 2016, will be used to engage visitors to the heritage site’s new permanent exhibit, set to open in late September during Culture Days.
The program is an educational tech platform that uses web, mobile and augmented reality technologies to get kids active and engaged in the world around them.
Visitors to the site will be able to download a free app to their mobile devices to become “Agents of Discovery.” The agents then complete augmented reality challenges – so-called “missions” – designed specifically for Trethewey House.
Agents must answer questions about the heritage site, use their mobile devices to capture images of specific artifacts or plants, or “catch” bees or other augmented reality characters, as they explore a site.
The game is free to play, and does not require data or Wi-Fi once downloaded.
“It’ll be particularly great for field trips and group visits, but can also be used by individual visitors, who can access the program from a mobile phone or a tablet even when the site has closed for the day,” said Christina Reid, operations manager at Trethewey House.
She said the program is designed with community-based learning in mind.
“We’re all about local heritage interpretation, so this is a fantastic opportunity for us,” Reid said.
Trethewey House is located at 2313 Ware St. Call 604-853-0313 or visit msamuseum.ca for more information.