GEO Academies Adventure Hunt

#1: On Thursdays in July the Indiana Historical Society (450 West Ohio Street) offers free admission. Get your team to this educational museum and head inside to the Welcome Desk to check-in. Then make your way to the Cole Porter Room, honoring the Indiana-born composer and songwriter. Once there, take a video of your team listening to, or singing along to, a classic Porter hit that you requested the live performer sing. Please note this checkpoint will be open after 10am, so plan your route accordingly.

#2: Research shows that consuming raw garlic can boost your immune system. So take a video of all your team members each chewing a separate raw clove of garlic for at least 10 full seconds, Team members should be actively chewing the clove and not just holding it in their mouths. Disclaimer, although healthy this will likely not be pleasant, which is exactly the point.

#3: Anywhere around town take a team picture at any intersection where the two street names are states that border each other. For example, if there were a California Avenue and an Oregon Lane then that would be acceptable because those states border one another. But the intersection of California Avenue and Colorado Street would not be accepted. Make sure both street signs are visible and legible in the background of your picture.

#4: Find a postcard that features this area in some way and purchase it. Then click HERE to go to the Postcard Happiness Project website and scroll down to the profile for John Craig, an adult with Downs Syndrome that loves to receive mail. On your postcard include a fun or uplifting message and sign it with your names or your group name. The mailing address for John can be found in his profile description. Stamp your card and take a picture with it to show you've completed your Act Of Kindness.

#5: As educators you have likely used Scotch Tape for just about everything. Well, except this. To honor this incredibly versatile American-made product take a fun group picture after everyone uses Scotch tape to stretch and distort their faces. For some inspiration click HERE.

#6: Anywhere around the city find a statue or mural of a current or former Indianapolis pro athlete and take a fun team picture reacting wildly as if you’ve just met your longtime icon while the statue or mural is clearly visible with your fanatical team.

#7: Take a video of your team successfully completing the Whipped Cream Catapult Challenge. There are two options for completing this depending on your Covid comfort level with the other members of your team. Option #1 is to divide your team into pairs. Have someone squirt a dollop (small lump) of whipped cream onto the back of their hand. Have the other person stand a few feet away from them ready to catch the whipped cream in their mouth. The person with the whipped cream on their hand will swing their arm back, palm down. When that hand gets back in front of them at about waist height, they’ll strike their wrist with their other free hand, causing the whipped cream to go flying. The second person should successfully catch the whipped cream in their mouth, or at least catch some of it in their mouth and the rest on their face. For this option, at least half your team should make a successful catch in the video. For Option #2 each team member will put the whipped cream on the back of their own hand and fling it up to themselves, at least 3 feet above their head. For this option everyone on the team would need to make a successful catch in the video. To understand the challenge better and to watch a video of a team successfully completing it click HERE.

#8: Find any youth (or group of youth) around the city and take a video of them teaching your team members how to “Floss”. And no, it has nothing to do with your teeth.

#9: Get to any grassy surface and take a video of your team all completing the Group Sit & Stand Challenge. Basically, your team members will all be standing shoulder to shoulder in a tight clump/circle with your backs all facing in and your arms interlocked. Slowly lower the entire interlocked group to the ground until you are in a seated position with your butt on the ground, and then slowly stand back up while remaining interlocked. To watch a video of a group successfully completing this challenge click HERE.

#10: Take a video of at least half the members in your group completing the "Bite The Bag" challenge. Stand on one leg, bend down and grab a brown paper bag with your teeth and lift it up as you stand back up on one foot. Must remain on one foot the entire time and can not use your arms, hold onto anything, or bump into anything else. To watch a video of someone successfully completing this challenge click HERE.

#11: On a mobile device use the stopwatch function to get the timer to stop at exactly 5 seconds. Once you’ve got it you can take a screenshot or have someone take your picture as you proudly display your device with 5.00 seconds clearly visible. This should be done using the stopwatch function and not the countdown/timer clock.

#12: Anywhere around the city find an active military person or veteran. Then take a video of them watching your entire team doing 10 push-ups or sit-ups to honor their strength. An alternative for finding an actual person is to get to any of the many locations around the city that honor the military (World War Memorial, Military Park, Soldiers & Sailors Monument, etc) and contact an active military person or veteran via Facetime or video chat. Then have them watch you over your device as you complete the sit-ups or push-ups and the memorial or monument is in the background. After you’ve finished recording, spend a few minutes learning more about their time in the service before you depart or disconnect, as a small gesture of appreciation.

#13: Somewhere outdoors, take a video of any one team member balancing a large (16 ounces or so) open-top paper, plastic, or foam cup on their head filled with water. Then have them walk 10 paces ahead without touching the cup or having it fall off at any point during their walk. If you touch the cup or it drops, fill the cup back up with water, re-balance, and start again. All team members can attempt this challenge at the same time but only one needs to be successful. After completing the 10 steps remove the cup and dump the water to prove it was full.

#14: Anywhere around the city take a group picture with any public digital clock (not a cell phone or personal watch) when the digits add up to 12. For example, 11:46am would be acceptable because 1+1+4+6=12. Similarly, 3:09pm would also be acceptable, or any other time where the sum of the individual digits equals 12.

#15: Find someone 80 years old or older around town. Take some time to chat with them, listen to a story they may have about Indianapolis, or just ask them about their life. Then at some point take a video of your team asking them the question “What is the most important thing children should learn in life?”.

And since this week recognized National Cheer Up The Lonely Day, at some point after this adventure click HERE to learn about how loneliness in seniors can be as hazardous to their health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, and how a simple interaction like what you’ll do for this challenge can change that.

#16: Find any vending machine (either with food, kids trinkets, etc) and put enough money into it that any one item could be gotten. Don’t select anything but instead leave a note that says “Any item of your choice on us! Love, GEO Academies”. Then take a picture of your team so that the vending machine, the deposited amount (if applicable), and your note are all visible if possible.