ASU Prep Pilgrim Rest becomes first elementary school in the
nation to launch Dreamscape Learn to deliver
transformative immersive learning experiences
PHOENIX, March 28,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, ASU Prep Pilgrim Rest
announced a new partnership with Dreamscape Learn, making it the
first elementary school in the country to offer students a dynamic
new learning experience that blends the power of experiential
pedagogy, cinematic engagement, and advanced virtual reality (VR)
technology.
Using the Dreamscape Learn platform, ASU Prep Pilgrim Rest
teachers and students can attend class in any imaginable virtual
location relevant to their subject matter — generating
unprecedented student excitement and engagement in subjects
including STEM, social studies, and language arts. That might mean
exploring ancient Egypt from
inside King Tut's tomb or studying the ocean from the perspective
of an oceanographer 30 meters below the surface.
"We are deeply grateful to bring this level of technology to the
Pilgrim Rest community," said Richard
Yarbough, President of Pilgrim Rest Foundation, Inc., a
philanthropic arm of Pilgrim Rest Church, where the school is
located. "Dreamscape's immersive classroom gives students access to
knowledge and experiences they may not otherwise encounter, whether
that's a trip to a world-class art museum or a tour of the surface
of the moon."
In the years following the pandemic, U.S. schools have seen an
unprecedented spike in student absences across the United States. Over one-fourth of students
were chronically absent in the school year 2021-22 — a significant
increase from the pre-pandemic figure of 15%. Researchers cite
student disengagement at school as one of the key factors
contributing to chronic absenteeism, making learning recovery
challenging.
"We see a tremendous opportunity with this technology to spark
excitement, curiosity, and persistence in our students. When
lessons leap off the page and into the real world, kids not only
engage more deeply with their schoolwork, but they also see the
value and relevance of their education in their everyday lives,"
said Marissa Schneckloth, Principal.
"ASU Prep Pilgrim Rest was founded with the goal of creating
educational opportunities for underserved students, and thanks to
Dreamscape, they can experience the power and joy of learning in an
entirely new way."
A collaboration between Arizona State
University (ASU) and DreamWorks Motion Pictures co-founder
and award-winning writer Walter
Parkes, Dreamscape Learn provides VR-enabled courseware and
a teaching platform that enables educators to conduct class from
vividly rendered locations that are impossible to visit in
person.
The installation of the Dreamscape Learn Pod at ASU Prep Pilgrim
Rest is the result of a long-standing relationship between ASU Prep
and Pilgrim Rest Foundation, Inc., which enlisted the support of
partners including the Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Public Service
(APS), Phoenix IDA, and Salt River Project (SRP) to help fund the
school project.
Dreamscape Learn is designed to integrate seamlessly into
current lessons. Educators can lead students to explore ancient
civilizations, distant planets, microscopic organisms, and
underwater ecosystems, all
from within their school walls. Research at ASU, where a similar
installation is already successfully serving students at the
collegiate level, has confirmed that students performed
better in courses that integrated this new approach to teaching and
learning.
"We want to enable students to become explorers and scientists.
Our technology can turn schools into departure hubs from which
students journey right to the middle of the subject they're
learning," said Josh Reibel,
CEO of Dreamscape Learn. "We know from the learning sciences
that students learn best when we employ a variety of pedagogical
modalities. Students learn from text, from lecture, from visual and
audio media, from hands-on experience and from each
other — the critical piece is creating curriculum in
which students both learn by doing and
learn in order to do."
Dreamscape Learn will be implemented into the Pilgrim Rest
curriculum beginning this spring and will continue to evolve during
summer school and throughout the 2024-25 school year, as Pilgrim
Rest expands from its current PreK-6 enrollment to encompass
seventh and eighth graders, as well. Families interested in
enrolling can learn more online at asuprep.asu.edu or by calling
844-692-3372.
About Dreamscape Learn
Dreamscape Learn is a
collaborative venture between Dreamscape Immersive and Arizona State University, merging the most advanced
pedagogy with the entertainment industry's best emotional
storytelling. Dreamscape Learn redefines how we teach and learn in
the 21st century, while aiming to eliminate student learning gaps.
Learn more at DreamscapeLearn.com
About ASU Prep Pilgrim Rest
ASU Prep Pilgrim Rest,
located on the campus of Pilgrim Rest Church, gives families in the
Eastlake community of Phoenix a
new option for students in grades PreK–6. With a focus on community
integration and innovation, ASU Prep Pilgrim Rest delivers a STEM-
and art-focused program designed specifically to serve students of
color. With the support of Arizona State
University, it is creating new pathways to college, making
higher education a reality for students of all backgrounds. For
more information, visit asuprep.asu.edu.
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SOURCE Dreamscape Learn