Students try out the scavenger-hunt style app. (Credit: Michael Murphy)
After school lets out, it can be tough for parents to keep their children in a learning mode.
One startup wants to make sure that children embark on a summer adventure while keeping their brains active and learning about the city they call home.
“During the summer, up to 84 percent of school children lose some knowledge, or even grade-level equivalency, known as the ‘summer slide’,” explains Avi Millman, co-founder of city tour app Stray Boots.
Stray Boots partnered with local college prep program KIPP NYC and their KIPP Through College program earlier this month to give middle and high school students the first chance to experience an interactive tour of the city.
The event was the beginning of a larger campaign, in which the tech startup company is giving away a tour for free, to any New York City family with a middle or high school student.
With the use of a cell phone, families can set out o an interactive tour throughout the city, revealing fun facts and trivia along the way. The app brings users to landmark areas including Wall Street, Union Square, Bryant Park and Times Square.
“Our tours use game mechanics to take people from point to point, so kids have the opportunity to explore and learn about the city they live in through a scavenger-hunt like experience,” Millman says. “In the process, they learn tons of things about history, art, architecture, culture and much more without even realizing it.”
The Stray Boots NYC Student Tour offer is available through their website.
