An escape room at Edison has been in the works for the last three years and is coming close to being completed and ready for students.
The idea of an escape room came about in 2020 when students wanted a fun and exciting way to learn about the book they were reading in class, Dracula. The junior AP seminar and senior Model UN classes at Edison were responsible for constructing the puzzles, coming up with the ideas, the building of the room and much more.
A non-profit organization, Beam Center, collaborated with Edison on this project and helped the students with the building and technicalities behind the escape room.
Students have been working hard for this escape room to be a fun and educational experience for everyone to enjoy.
The point of this project was to incorporate a new way of teaching at school without making it too test based. “To help with the PBL learning- it’s to make it an English content so it’s kind of like a new way of teaching without making it just test based. So that kids can get another opportunity to actually try and to see what they learned without just the pressure of tests,” 12th grade student Kacay Ramkissoon said.
The students that worked on the escape room have worked hard to make the escape room as accurate as possible. The accurate references included in the escape room made it a more enjoyable experience for those that have read the book and know what happens.
“My favorite thing, as an English teacher who taught the book, is all the accurate references and allusions- the things like the text in the room. When I did my first beta test in the room I saw so many parts of the book that were like on the walls, in the items, and everything that was doing- so I felt like I was actually inside the book that I read so many times,” Mr. Ollivierre said.
The escape room allows everyone to see Dracula in a new light. Rather than just reading the book, people get to interact with the room and get a better understanding of the events that occur in the book.
“Yes our students read Dracula and understood the book, but this is now a way to live it and really see the literature and then have an experience- it’s also fun and memorable,.” Mr. Ollivierre said.
Not only has the escape room allowed students to learn about Dracula in a different way, but it has allowed teachers and staff to have an exciting experience. The escape room has been a memorable and invigorating experience for everyone involved.
