||| FROM AYN GAILEY |||
Kids and adults who feel more connected to the Salish Sea are more likely to protect it. That’s why we are asking islanders to support our OICF GIVEORCAS project: Immersive Salish Sea Education program for Orcas Island youth.
Listen to how the kids refer to sea life in this 30-sec video. When viewing a fish or shrimp swim by them through virtual reality headsets, they don’t say, “Look at IT go.” They say, “Look at HER go.”
The Immersive Salish Sea Education program will take high school-aged students from Orcas Island on real-life excursions through the waters of the Salish Sea using virtual reality headsets. This multi-day program, led by Friends of the San Juans, will connect students to the marine food web and scientific research with marine food web lessons, virtual reality experiences, and a walking field trip to a shoreline.
The GIVEORCAS organization that receives the most hundred-dollar (or more) donations on Monday, November 27th, will win $1,000. The project with the second-most will get $500, and third place will receive $250. If you are in a position to be able to contribute $100 on Monday, we will be grateful!
To learn more or donate, visit: https://oicf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/grant?grant_id=30031
This education program achieves WA State standards for Integrated Environmental and Sustainability Education and Technology Learning Standards. Students learn about conservation, and the effects of climate change, pollution, and other environmental stressors on the ecosystem. Virtual reality equipment purchased with this grant can also be used at other future educational opportunities in the schools, libraries, film festivals, fairs, and Farmer’s Markets.
**If you are reading theOrcasonian for free, thank your fellow islanders. If you would like to support theOrcasonian CLICK HERE to set your modestly-priced, voluntary subscription. Otherwise, no worries; we’re happy to share with you.**
Thank you for posting Ayn. This is such an exciting hi-tech, immersive, educational tool, one that leaves you with breathtaking lifelike experiences. I hope people will donate to this… it takes education to a whole different level.
In preparation for “digging in” during the pandemic I purchased one of these Occulus headset units. I’m fortunate in that I knew one of the engineers that’s related to the company that developed and is marketing these. As he lives right here on the island I was blessed with being able to try one out first, and within the first 60 seconds of doing so, I said, “I’m gettin’ one of these!” He said, “That’s what everyone says.”
I’m so happy that someone on the island is making these available to the children. There are thousands of uses for these. And though I too, have used it to spend time exploring under the sea, I use mine mostly to travel around the world and go on immersive tours of the world’s historical archeological wonders, and tours of the world’s greatest museums, (O.K. I also watch full-screen Netflix shows and documentaries on it too). The sound system is top-notch, and the visual quality is simply amazing. It’s so life-like it’s as if you are actually there. You can take immersive yoga and Tai chi classes, be part of an expedition to the top of Mt. Everest, explore the world’s deepest caves, be on board a deep sea vessel exploring the Titanic, take a ride on the space shuttle, or if you can stand it, go on the world’s most extreme roller coasters… there is seemingly no limits as to what this device can do.
This is an utterly fascinating technology.