RecRe: We're Much More than “Rec”

Welcome to my first blog post, everyone! As one of the newest members of the RecRe team, I’m excited to share my take on a perception about RecRe that’s come up in more than a couple conversations with prospective campus partners: that RecRe is focused on recreation (hence the “rec” in “RecRe”). That perception seems to be based on our name than anything else, but I’m here to tell you, RecRe is actually so much more than “rec.”

Understanding the Misconception: The Essence & Evolution of RecRe

First and foremost, the name and original idea did come from a recreation experience. Our CEO and co-founder came up with the idea on a sunny day in a public park in New York City. He asked himself, “What if there was something at the park that could hold items that I could use and reuse?” That initial idea has grown and evolved over time to become the RecRe of today. 

We’re a smart box-based inventory management solution that offers an engaging way to activate campus spaces using items that students want or need. Our hardware offers easy, fun, and transparent borrowing of items using a cubby-based system and intuitive software accessed through a QR code. RecRe boxes bring often-hidden items out of a closet or other back-of-house space to make them easily available for use by the campus community in common and public areas.

Who uses RecRe and What Do They Put in the Boxes?

Our campus partners are from student union/activities, university housing/res-life, auxiliary services, and of course, campus recreation units. Departments use the boxes to create engagement through items like vacuums, board games, charging cables, e-game systems, cleaning kits, and other fun or necessary gear. We even have boxes with interesting and useful items for the classroom. For example, one of our campus partners filled a rental box in one of their academic buildings with things like scientific calculators, safety goggles, whiteboard and dry erase markers, and even a human body model. 

Our boxes serve as vessels for items, and are integrated with highly agile software for seamless management and access. The boxes can hold and manage nearly anything that fits in a cubby—not just rec equipment (although they can do that, too!). Of course we’re not minimizing “just rec” equipment in any way. Rec and rec-adjacent programs, services, and operations are extremely important to us.

Bringing RecRe Use Cases to Life 

 Some folks see our name and think things like:

• “RecRe must be solely recreation-focused, and since I work in student activities, res-life, or another engagement area, it’s not for me.”
• “RecRe’s focus is on recreation areas or gear, and my link to that is tangential at best, so, I’ll keep looking for something more aligned to my department’s needs.”
• “I have no idea what RecRe does or offers, but it sounds like recreation stuff, and that has nothing to do with me.” 

If you came to this post with any of these thoughts, hopefully you’re starting to see that RecRe creates opportunities for any and all departments on campus to provide items for use by students.

But don’t just take my word for it. Here are just a few examples of the types of inventory some of our campus partners offer students through their RecRe rental boxes:  

• Auburn University—laptops, calculators, charging cords and adapters for phones and smart devices, laundry sets, tool kits, vacuums, etc.
• University of Cincinnati—cleaning kits and equipment, board games, card games, etc.
• Wentworth Institute of Technology—electronic games, ping-pong sets, role-playing games, etc.
• Georgia Institute of Technology—billiards equipment, card games, interactive skill games, etc. 
• Union College—VR headsets, hammocks, outdoor games, speakers, etc.

Beyond Rec: Activating Diverse Campuses Spaces

We are, of course, in the campus recreation space and we love our campus rec partners. Providing basketballs, pickleball equipment, and bag-o sets is certainly an area where we excel. But, critically, we’re more than “just rec” and activate space in a variety of areas on campus. 

Now is a great time to connect to learn about all the wonderful ways we can help you and your teams activate space and engage students. Check out our website at recrebox.com or email us at solutions@recrebox.com for more info or with any questions.

Jason Levy is the newest Campus Relations Manager at RecRe.  He has a long history of working on campuses, primarily in the student union/activities, recreation, and events areas over the past 20+ years. He served both ACUI and NACAS in significant volunteer roles and is a self-described technophile. Connect with him at jason@recrebox.com.