Redwood’s Amnesty International Club held their first ever scavenger hunt on campus, in an effort to raise awareness for human rights violations worldwide.
Throughout the week of April 27th, Redwood students used the app Scavify on smartphones, iPads, and other devices to complete the human rights-related tasks in order to score points for various prizes. Rewards included gift cards, Fitbit fitness bands, and a donation in the winner’s name to the Nepal Earthquake Relief Fund.
Club co-president Lilly Kane-Dacri, sophomore, said incorporating technology into a scavenger hunt appeals to students who are interested in human rights issues, but don’t always understand them.
“A lot of younger kids know about [the issues], but they do not have a true idea about it, so bringing technology into it brings this new modern fascination to what the issue is and helps them understand,” Kane-Dacri said.
The application provides students with various tasks they must complete to earn points, including sending petitions to the government, identifying Amnesty International cases around the world, or writing and sending letters to the Justice Department about human rights issues.
“It’s bringing awareness and action. It’s an event to know we are out there. Amnesty has a lot of influence in politics and works closely with the United Nations, and a lot of people don’t realize how important we are and what we do,” Kane-Dacri said.
Club advisor Mary Beth Leland said she was skeptical when she first heard the idea to utilize technology in the hunt, thinking it wouldn’t be a useful way to spend the club’s money.
“I wanted to do a ‘piece of paper old fashioned’ scavenger hunt where you did [tasks] and checked them off on a sheet,” she said. “I was thinking maybe 10-15 tasks tops; there were over 250.”
Leland said the club proved her wrong after it totaled so many participants.
“To be able to see what everyone else was doing, seeing pictures of them taking action and constantly checking the scoreboard while scrolling to see the news feed was incredible,” Leland said. “These kids blew me away. I was so wrong; I take back everything I said about not running the hunt, it was amazing.”
