Moutain View will be offering schools a Virtual Reality field trip without any costs to get them more involved. The project, Google Expeditions, is the search engine giant's way to bring virtual reality field trips to thousands of schools around the world.
During the 2015/2016 school year, Google is bringing Virtual Reality kits to schools that contain everything a class will need to have a field trip without leaving the room with no costs. The Virtual Reality kits include ASUS smartphones (ZenFone 2 (ZE551ML), a tablet for the teacher to guide the tour, a router to allow the 'Expeditions' without the need of an internet connection, a Google Cardboard viewers, or Mattel View-Masters to transform the ASUS smartphones into VR headsets. While this may lack the certain feel of bus rides and road trips, Virtual Reality will bring students to places that are miles away without having to move away from the classroom.
Google will be visiting thousands of schools around the world and help teachers on how to use "Expeditions" and set it up before their classes. The first wave of countries that the company will be visiting are: Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. More locations will follow as the school year progresses.
At the moment, "Expeditions" offer a library of 100+ virtual trips to places such as Mars, the Great Barrier Reef, and the Great Wall of China. Google will constantly keep the library updated with the help of its partners such as PBS, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, David Attenborough and Alchemy VR, and the Wildlife Conservations Society. The company is also working with the Starfish Foundation to help students find and explore future careers with a virtual day in the lives of veterinarians and computer scientists. Google is also working with First Lady Michelle Obama in support of her Reach Higher initative by giving students a tour of virtual colleges.
