Storey Press Release Backpack Explorer Experience on Roblox

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Balance Screen Time with Green Time!
with the new
Backpack Explorer Experience on Roblox

NORTH ADAMS, MA — November 20, 2023. Storey Publishing is thrilled to announce its best-selling Backpack Explorer book series is entering the metaverse using technology to build nature curiosity in kids. The Backpack Explorer series—trusted in educational and home settings alike—teaches nature identification and discovery with a highly visual, interactive format that includes a magnifying glass and stickers for recording in-person sightings. Inspired by the series, the action-packed, free-to-play online experience is now available on the global Roblox platform.

With kids spending less time outdoors and more time on screens, the Backpack Explorer experience on Roblox meets kids where they are to help close the nature literacy gap through immersive and, most of all, fun gameplay.

As Deborah Balmuth, Storey’s Publisher, says, “Appreciation for the wonders of the natural world begins at an early age, and understanding leads to caring. If kids aren’t connected to nature, then they won’t care.” The Backpack Explorer experience on Roblox builds kids’ knowledge and connection to nature, cultivating the next generation of naturalists, conservationists, and caretakers of the natural world.

The activities in the Backpack Explorer book series, like scavenger hunts, on-the-trail art projects, and earning patches for discovery challenges, lend themselves well to the gaming mechanics native to Roblox.

Equipped with their trusty backpack and keen observational skills, kids hit the virtual trail in search of animals, birds, and bugs that hold the key to unlocking the next stage of their adventure. They earn points and collect habitat patches, and Roblox badges to showcase their mastery as a Backpack Explorer—with opportunities to win in-game limited edition UGC items along the way.

After playing, kids can claim an in-real-life Backpack Explorer patch, grab their favorite Backpack Explorer book, and use their newfound nature observation skills and knowledge to hit the trail for an IRL adventure.

The Backpack Explorer experience on Roblox, winner of the first global Hachette Innovation Challenge, was developed in partnership with award-winning game studio, Dubit. Visit www.hachettebookgroup.com/landing-page/storey-backpack-explorer-roblox for more information about the game. A sample Q&A with project leader (and mother of two outdoor-loving, Roblox-obsessed kids) Kimberly Thompson Panay is available here.

About Storey Publishing

Storey Publishing is a leader in nature-based, non-fiction books for kids. Guided by a mission to provide practical information that encourages personal independence in harmony with the environment, Storey books teach and inspire readers of all ages to enrich their lives through hands-on activities and experiences. Storey is an imprint of Workman Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group, the world’s third-largest mainstream trade and educational publishing group comprised of 200 imprints, which together publish 16,000 new titles each year in a dozen languages. Learn more at: storey.com

About Dubit

Dubit is an industry-leading developer specializing in metaverse games, experiences, and apps tailored for brands and organizations. With a dedicated team of over 100 in-house developers and 20 years of experience, Dubit delivers comprehensive tools, research data, and production services to create captivating experiences within the metaverse and beyond. Dubit proudly stands among the initial companies accepted into the Roblox Partner program. Clients include industry giants such as H&M, Nickelodeon, Nascar, UEFA, Samsung, and Disney. Learn more at: dubit.io

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