Welcome to LearningPlunge! A Message From Executive Director, Robin Hayutin

We are glad you decided to visit us online. Through this site you will find our mission, services, collaborations and achievements. The site also includes a robust Resources page that contains downloadable rules for all levels of GeoPlunge, classroom resources and lesson plans for incorporating GeoPlunge into the classroom and our Blog, “Plunge In.”  Through our YouTube channel, we have posted instructional videos on how to play our games (geoplunge). We also invite you to connect with us on Twitter (@geoplunge), Facebook and LinkedIn. We regularly post fun facts and photos of different places around the U.S., as well as our blog, “Plunge In,” which focuses on issues relating to education and community engagement.

LearningPlunge is dedicated to empowering children of all backgrounds to be enthusiastic about learning.  For over a decade, students have played our flagship and award-winning game, GeoPlunge, at home, at school and at city-wide tournaments.  Walking into a city-wide GeoPlunge tournament with over 200 students is a great experience. Most of the children we have served come from Title I schools. At every single tournament, the excitement in the room is palpable.

With the help of teachers and business leaders, students involved in our programs have gained tremendous knowledge about the U.S., while honing and developing critical and strategic thinking skills.  Because GeoPlunge is fun, children want to play – they want to keep learning because learning is fun.  We have heard that many students have asked to play GeoPlunge rather than going to recess. GeoPlunge is played in teams so students learn to work together and develop communication skills. Many students develop leadership skills through collaborative learning.

GeoPlunge is an equalizer. It does not require expensive equipment or technology to play.  All you need is one box of GeoPlunge cards. That one box contains games that are fun for young pre-readers, school aged children, as well as adults.

Our programs are unique because children not only learn a great deal from playing GeoPlunge, but the game lends itself to community engagement in so many ways. We like to say that we connect communities one tournament at a time – and that is truly the case.

• We have brought together business from around Washington, D.C. to coach and mentor children.
• We have provided a vehicle for police and students to work together on the same teams.
• We are bringing together students and geography-based businesses in St. Louis so that students can understand that there are good careers in geography-related fields.
• We have provided a vehicle for AP high school students to coach and mentor younger students.
• We have broadened students’ worlds by taking them outside of their neighborhoods (where many have never been) to meet and compete with students from across the city.

There are many ways that you can get involved to help us continue to empower children through learning.

• We are always willing to pursue new collaborations, whether they are in-school or after school programs.  Please contact us at [email protected] if you want to work with us to develop a program large or small.
• You can donate a game to a school or sponsor a school in a tournament through our “Donate” button on this website.
• You can make a tax-deductible donation through this website so that together we can provide new resources and opportunities for all children.

Together we can make a difference for children and communities.