An Introduction to the Metaverse for Education

The Metaverse has potential to enhance all types of educational experiences. Whether you’re an educator, developer, or anyone in between who wants to learn about the opportunities that XR (extended reality) can bring to the classroom and beyond, you’ve come to the right place.

Download our free evidence-based guide for an in-depth overview of the essentials and check out our blog to stay up to date on the latest musings and developments from our team of experts.

“You have to make it relatable, accessible, and enjoyable,” Della Volla concludes. “If you don’t have that, then you’re doing a disservice to science, to learning, to everyone in your community. Lifelong learners want to know they have a place to go, and it’s gotta feel like a place they’re welcomed in.”

2021 WEBBY AWARD & PEOPLE'S CHOICE WINNER ”Best 360 Video"

Access The Inaccessible

Changing how we experience our world.

As VR Development Producer for the Expedition Everest 360 series I worked closely with the team at IVAR Studios to create new ways to connect audiences with our world.

Immerse yourself with a team of scientists, climbers, and Sherpa guides as they embark on an expedition that will help define our understanding of high-mountain environments. Experience the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition, which was not simply a climb of the mountain, but a perilous adventure to learn how climate change is impacting the highest place on Earth.

National Press Photographers Association 1st prize for “Innovation” winner for Best of Photojournalism 2020

A Day IN: DC

On May 1st, we launched #DayINDC Instagram Live festival and fundraiser to showcase and support local businesses and creatives. We brought those in D.C. and beyond together for a full day and night of authentic, human connection #IVL (In Virtual Life). Head to adayin.live for ways to support and donate

30+ businesses, 18+ hours of content, 10s of thousands of views, a million emotions. Produced by brightestyoungthings.com and exactlyagency.com

Role: Producer, Technical Director, Talent and Relationship Manager

Do The WERQ!

Hey Fam! is a "dual interview" series hosted on Zoom, featuring members of our queer family making big strides in marketing and advertising. Each segment features two guests interviewing each other to discuss the importance of queer creativity to brands, and in turn, giving you the opportunity to get to know them. At the conclusion of the interviews, audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions and further connect with guests.

“Lean into the awkward moments. Allowing that awkward tension to exist is meaningful. Sitting in those awkward moments help makes progress. ” – Justin Shiels

In Episode 5 Creative Director / Founder of @CuriousTribe Justin Shiels chats with Experiential Creative Director Aaron Lovejoy. They dig into the different experiences and paths that mold our career journey. This lively discourse includes topics like the need for queer leadership and mentorship in our industry; the benefits of a queer identity in advertising; trusting your instincts; leading a team during COVID; staying connected and engaged in creativity; the importance of personal projects; and more!

Role: Digital Producer, Dot Connector, Experience Producer

“It’s kinda fun to do the impossible.”

— Walt Disney

Seven words that sum up why I jumped headset first into the uncharted waters of immersive experiences. Creating the “World’s Largest Permanent Virtual Reality Theater” was supposed to be impossible, even Oculus told me we couldn’t do it! That didn’t stop me and my team of collaborators from ignoring good sense to make the impossible, possible.

The Virtual Exploration Theater at National Geographic’s Historic World Headquarters in Washington, D.C. opened October 10, 2018 for its debut event. In the 14 months after that first activation of a location-based shared synchronized immersive reality experience system I and my team took over 2500 people on expeditions from under the ocean to the moon. The groundbreaking experience won The Webby Award for “Best VR Interact Design”.

With limitless places to go it became clear the experience needed to go beyond the walls of a theater. This is why I developed, built, tested, and launched the first-of-its-kind mobile remote shared synchronized immersive reality experience system, the VR Exploration Expedition Kit. Opening access and opportunity to these powerful experiences meant we could reach students in the classroom and even X Games enthusiasts on the side of a mountain. In just four short months over 6500 people on two continents went on expedition with us to 11 different destinations.

And that’s just the beginning…