NORTH KINGSTOWN – As the U.S. prepares to mark its 250th anniversary, local tech entrepreneur Michelle Girasole has announced the launch of Revolutionary RI250 Quest, an interactive statewide scavenger hunt designed to celebrate Rhode Island’s role in the American Revolution.
Hosted by Fresh Adventures, formerly known as FreshMaps, the GPS-driven mobile app is designed to help locals and visitors immerse themselves in self-guided tours or “quests.”
The latest quest is in partnership with the Battle of Rhode Island Association and invites participants to immerse themselves in the state’s Revolutionary War history through storytelling, gamification and exploration.
Running from May 4 through July 11, participants will engage with videos, trivia and puzzles to earn points, competing for prizes on a statewide leaderboard.
“This is not just a map – it’s a series of GPS-driven walking and driving tours,” said Girasole, founder of Fresh Adventures.
“We aim to be the storytellers, gamemasters, and experience hosts, guiding participants through Rhode Island’s extraordinary Revolutionary history in an immersive, fun and accessible way for all ages.”
Over 10 weeks teams and individuals can explore eight Rhode Island towns where key Revolutionary events took place, including the Varnum House Museum in East Greenwich, Smith’s Castle in North Kingstown, and The Colony House and historic wharves of Newport.
Girasole said the inspiration stems from childhood memories of the Tall Ships Festival in Newport during the country’s Bicentennial.
Organizers are planning a celebratory kick-off event on May 3 at the Nathanael Greene Homestead in Coventry.
Registration opens March 15.
Girasole on Friday said the FreshMaps technology is being embraced by historians who “see it as an innovative way to deliver the stories of our history in a digital format that the younger generations are used to using for learning.”
Girasole now plans to leverage this latest project, which took two years to complete, and “take it on the road” to offer it up to other states and tourism boards outside of Rhode Island.
“The gamification reinforces the learning,” she said. “There is a generation that laments the younger generation using it. But kids are using Pokémon Go for no reason except to have fun. Here you can use the same type of platform and also teach something.”
Christopher Allen is a PBN staff writer. You may contact him at Allen@PBN.com.
