Meta donates 400 VR headsets to Beeld & Geluid and Metaverse Werkplaats in the Netherlands to support immersive technology in education.
The Institute for Sound & Vision and Metaverse Werkplaats will receive 400 Meta Quest 2 headsets to stimulate and expand their new educational program. This was announced by Markus Reinisch, Vice President of Public Policy at Meta in Europe during his visit to Immersive Tech Week in Rotterdam. Metaverse Werkplaats is the initiative of six technical-creative MBO schools, giving hundreds of students the opportunity to build virtual worlds and interactive 3D experiences in the coming years, leading to quicker adoption in the field and in the education space.
Meta is donating 400 Meta Quest 2 headsets to students, teachers and media professionals so they can work on new virtual applications. The devices will be used in various educational projects in which students create immersive experiences together with professionals. Examples include creating a VR experience for the Dutch CineKid Festival, the largest film and media festival for children in the world, and a prototype metaverse environment for one of Europe’s largest supermarket chains. This offers students a unique opportunity to work with this new technology and enables companies to experience the next generation of creators.
Marilene Streefland, President of the Executive Board of Mediacollege Amsterdam, one of the participating schools in the Metaverse Werkplaats: “As technical-creative MBO schools, we are the purveyor of new talent for this industry. In order to respond quickly to the developments that take place there, we work closely with companies and other MBO schools, for example in the form of projects and workshops. Due to the increasing scale of these collaborations, the demand for technology and resources is also growing. This donation from Meta and the collaboration with Beeld & Geluid ensures that we, as Metaverse Werkplaats, can scale up faster and also increase the reach and impact of the educational projects.”
Metaverse in new Media Museum of Build & Geluid
The new Media Museum of Beeld & Geluid, opening on 11 February 2023, will unveil the Wonder floor, where visitors can experience the future of these new media. Beeld & Geluid and Metaverse Werkplaats will use this space to test and show metaverse innovations to a wide audience. Sharing knowledge between students, the public and technology partners, will create the perfect innovation environment for people to learn and discover.
John Leek, Creative Industry Beeld & Geluid Manager: “As the home of media creators, we firmly believe in the innovative power that arises when creators, the public, knowledge institutions and industry work together. The brand new Media Museum of Beeld & Geluid offers a unique inclusive stage on which the results of innovation can be experienced. It is of the utmost importance that everyone can experience the AR and VR productions of our young talents from the Metaverse Werkplaats. This collaboration with Meta and Metaverse Werkplaats will give a strong boost to talent development in the AR/VR ecosystem in the Netherlands.”
First Dutch organizations for Meta Immersive Learning
The support for Beeld & Geluid and Metaverse Werkplaats is part of the Meta Immersive Learning program. With Meta Immersive Learning, Meta is investing 150 million dollars to help develop and strengthen the next generation of creators, create immersive experiences that change the way we learn and increase accessibility to learning via technology. Beeld & Geluid and Metaverse Werkplaats are the first Dutch organizations that participate in this program.
Markus Reinisch, Vice President Public Policy, Europe: “The path to building the metaverse and transforming learning in immersive technologies will not be created by one company. That’s why we’re working closely with partners to help create a thriving AR/VR ecosystem which will unblock opportunities for educators and learners around the world. We are therefore proud to partner with Sound & Vision and Metaverse Werkplaats and support them with training the next generation of creators and developers in the Dutch media industry.”
