Co-Creating Virtual Reality Videos To Support Newcomer Youth

About This Project

Summary

Switchboard's Emerging Technology team collaborated with IRC Sacramento and Afghan youth to revolutionize cultural orientation through a 360° immersive video for a virtual reality experience. This approach transforms traditional workshops & book-based learning for immigrant cultural assimilation into a vivid, interactive experience. Using design thinking and co-creation, they developed a storyboard & filmed at a local high school, capturing key scenes of U.S. school life to ease newcomers in.

Goals & Objectives

1) Enhance school readiness for refugee youth using VR tech by creating a culturally sensitive, multilingual immersive experience. 2) Empower youth and engage the local community through co-creative product development. 3) Reducing the mental health burden of newcomer youth in the United States.

Results & Impact

As a result of this project's successful implementation, we produced more 360 VR instructional videos with topics like navigating grocery stores and pharmacies, parent pick-up of children at school and taking public transportation for adult newcomers. We're also holding a conference in Utah on this.