The Center for Diversity and Inclusion at Franklin College got students to lace-up and log on for a campus wide scavenger hunt last week. The digital-meets-real-world event, the first of its kind for the private liberal arts college, focused on bringing Black history to life during Black History Month. 

“We wanted to engage our students with the rich history of Black excellence within the United States of America, through an exciting platform. The Black History Month Scavenger Hunt was an opportunity to showcase Black excellence and the ways that digital fluency can add value to an experience.  We were very excited to partner with the Center for Tech Innovation and to build stronger community relationships,” said Dr. Maegan Pollonais, Director of Center for Diversity and Inclusion at Franklin College. “We seek to create opportunities for our school community to come together, bond, learn, and grow as equity-minded individuals.” 

Participants of the first Black History Month Scavenger Hunt scanned QR codes around campus to get clues about Black inventors, scientists, artists, and entertainers, as well as the civil rights movement. The event was organized by the Center for Diversity and Inclusion and led by Kayln Johnson, Assistant Director of Center for Diversity and Inclusion. Throughout the 14-clue scavenger hunt, participants activated digital experiences and received text messages with additional clues, all powered by Lumavate.  

Lumavate, a digital experience platform (DXP), partnered with Franklin College to help prepare students for the digital workforce as part of the college’s  digital fluency initiative. 

The college’s digital fluency initiative merges the applications of technology in each academic discipline with the content knowledge and the liberal arts foundation to form Franklin College’s distinctive academic experience. In addition to developing technical skills as part of their core and major classes, students have access to more classes specifically focused on the development of digital fluency skills. The initiative also provides cutting-edge tools to students to use in their studies and prepares them for the high-tech world they will encounter upon graduation.  

Lumavate’s partnership with Franklin College provides students with hands-on access to the platform. This allows students to gain next-generation expertise in building highly personalized digital experiences and develop critical skills to help prepare them for the workforce upon graduation.  Additionally, students will use the Lumavate Platform to build digital experiences on behalf of the college and student organizations. This hands-on approach enables students to learn an industry-leading tool and create digital experiences that can be added to their portfolio of work.   

“Digital fluency is a prerequisite to success in today’s workforce,” said Stephanie Cox, CEO of Lumavate and Franklin College alumnae, class of 2003. “Franklin College is leading by example in ensuring students graduate with the skills and experience necessary to be the next generation of tech leaders. Lumavate’s partnership with the college will provide students with an incredible educational opportunity to elevate their digital expertise well ahead of peers at other colleges and train on a digital experience platform that is shaping the  future of business through no-code.”