Pupils from Hillside School celebrated the 21st anniversary of Blue Switch Day recently by geocaching at Woodroad Park in Cumnock.

Blue Switch Day is held on May 2 each year and recognises when the US Government ‘flipped the switch’ and made high-accuracy GPS available to everyone.

Pupils had great fun using GPS technology on the Geocache app to search for two geocache treasures, which were just a short walk from their school.

Schools across East Ayrshire will also be joining the celebrations by placing 21 new geocaches at significant cultural and heritage locations in their communities for everyone to explore.

This exciting geocaching project, which is delivered through the Coalfield Communities Landscape Partnership and organised by the Council’s Learning Outdoors Support team, will highlight special places of interest that are part of East Ayrshire’s coal mining heritage.

Cumnock Chronicle:

Willie White, Education Officer said: “Could there be a better way of demonstrating science, technology and maths combined in the real world than geocaching?

“Pupils understand the significance of these subjects through a fun outdoor activity. Who doesn’t love finding hidden treasure?

“Using the free app on any phone to adventure out and find hidden places on your doorstep or all over the world really opens the door to a lifetime of exploration and learning, but be warned it can be addictive.”

On May 2, 2000 the US Government made high-accuracy GPS available to everyone, changing technology and the way that we all live forever.