one_time_wishlist
Virtual Vision: Empowering Youth Through VR
The HeartSmiles VR Lab is more than just a space—it’s a launchpad for youth to explore careers, spark creativity, and gain the future-ready skills they need to thrive in the 21st century. Through immersive, hands-on virtual reality experiences, young people will have the opportunity to learn by doing—stepping into environments that textbooks alone can’t provide.
In this innovative learning lab, youth can:
- Practice public speaking in simulated boardrooms, classrooms, and large audiences—building confidence and communication skills in a low-stakes, repeatable setting.
- Explore career paths by virtually shadowing professionals in fields like healthcare, engineering, design, architecture, and skilled trades.
- Collaborate on creative projects like building virtual art installations or coding their own mini-VR games—learning teamwork, design thinking, and tech fluency.
- Train for real-world scenarios like conflict resolution, customer service, or interviews—enhancing social-emotional skills and workforce readiness.
- Visit the world—from walking through a civil rights museum to touring a NASA space station or seeing marine biology up close—making learning more engaging and culturally rich.
By engaging with VR, our youth gain not just tech exposure, but critical 21st-century skills: adaptability, digital literacy, innovation, and leadership.
Joni Holifield
HeartSmiles, Baltimore, Maryland
