Juneau – A mission, a map containing cryptic codes that unlock clues, and an Xtra Tuff boots-wearing secret agent named Northern Flying Squirrel. These are all part of an updated scavenger hunt phone app – launching on September 4th. This mission was made possible thanks to a continuing partnership between the Alaska State Museum and the U.S. Forest Service.
“Mission 49: Journey to Alaska’s Past” is a game within the Agents of Discovery app that is played on a mobile device, either at the Museum or virtually at home. It engages kids and families in learning about Alaska cultures and history while focusing on concepts like stewardship and sustainability. In exploring artifacts from different places in Alaska, kids build awareness and appreciation of cultural similarities and differences, Alaska heritage, homelands, and public lands held in trust for all. Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-based educational backstories guide youth through the scavenger hunt. Download Agents of Discovery for free from the App Store or Google Play to begin.
Originally based on the “49 Sites in the 49th State,” a Forest Service project that celebrated the 50th anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) highlighting 49 historic properties, the scavenger hunt phone app has been recently updated to use different Museum objects and exhibits in a fun digital way.
This phone app mission is unique, as it is the first indoor Agents of Discovery site in the nation. Onsite, players hunt for codes on labels in the galleries and scan them with the built-in scanner to open challenges. Players can easily access these codes and play at home too, by logging on to the Museum’s website or the Forest Service’s website.
Juneau kids are lucky, as there are two additional Agents of Discovery game sites in town: one at the Mendenhall Glacier and one at Auke Recreation area. The Forest Service has other app sites in Ketchikan and Anchorage.
The app launches as a part of Virtual First Friday at 4:30 p.m. on September 4th and will be available for the year ahead. Successful players can send a screenshot of their completed mission to the Alaska State Museum for a free sticker or temporary tattoo.
Museum open hours are noon to 4 p.m., Wednesday-Saturday. Please note that the Museum is not offering extended evening hours on First Fridays at this time. For updated admission prices please visit museums.alaska.gov. Assistance is available for visitors with special needs. Please contact Visitor Services at 465-2901 before the visit.
Patience Frederiksen, Director
907.465.2911
patience.frederiksen@alaska.gov
lam.alaska.gov
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