Cal State LA has created a Pokémon GO campus health walk, leveraging the wildly popular augmented reality game to promote physical fitness and well-being among students and employees.
The health walk is sponsored by the university's Mind Matters initiative, which was launched in 2014 by Cal State LA President William A. Covino to integrate well-being into student life as a means of promoting academic success.
Officially titled the #MindMatters Pokémon GO Health Walk, the path traverses the 175-acre campus and features 35 PokéStops and three gyms. The health walk begins at the Golden Eagle statue and Main Walkway, which is a focal point for student activity. By following the path, players will complete about 9,555 steps – nearly five miles.
With dozens of PokéStops, Cal State LA is a Pokémon paradise for players of all levels. During lunchtime and breaks, students and employees can be seen strolling the campus, searching for Pokémon creatures and engaging in battles at the gyms.
The health walk is the latest addition to the Mind Matters initiative. The initiative promotes well-being through a student video series, therapy dog visits, a speaker series that has included lectures by Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez, and through services offered by the Student Health Center.
Photo: Cal State LA students get ready for their #MindMatters Pokemon GO Health Walk. (Credit: J. Emilio Flores/Cal State LA)
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Cal State LA is a university dedicated to engagement, service, and the public good. Founded in 1947, the University serves more than 27,000 students and 247,000 distinguished alumni, who are as diverse as the city we serve. Located in the heart of Los Angeles, Cal State LA has long been recognized as an engine of economic and social mobility. Led by an award-winning faculty, the University offers nationally recognized programs in science, the arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education and the humanities.
Cal State LA is home to the critically-acclaimed Luckman Fine Arts Complex, Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs, Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center, Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility, Billie Jean King Sports Complex, TV, Film and Media Center and the Center for Engagement, Service, and the Public Good. For more information, visit www.CalStateLA.edu.
08/01/16