zSpace, an education company specializing in innovative learning methods for students, has named Utica Community Schools as a Center of Excellence for the use of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality in their classrooms. 

"The 28,000-student district is using zSpace technology in four elementary schools, sharing with the company its first-hand experiences and best practices for incorporating AR/VR activities into teaching and learning," according to a recent zSpace press release.

"The district’s focus is to prepare students for the careers of tomorrow where virtual engineering and 3D environments will be a part of their everyday lives. UCS is the only school district in the midwest to earn the designation."

AR/VR experiences in the classroom immerse students in the material they are learning. It enables them to complete design simulations and allows them to become virtual engineers. Students also learn to work as a team and with AR/VR tools. These collaborative, hands-on experiences build students' excitement about learning.

zSpace released a video that chronicles how their technology is making a difference in Utica Community Schools. In this short and condensed package, viewers get a glimpse into what looks like the most futuristic level of learning.

"The district has become an educational leader in the fields of engineering technology, advanced manufacturing and robotics through its location in the heart of the automotive and defense industries," said Superintendent Dr. Christine Johns according to the release. "We are instilling the innovation, problem-solving and creative thinking that employers are seeking from today’s graduates." Immersing students in a simulated real-world environment, ultimately helps better prepare them for the future workforce and careers in engineering. 

"We are proud to recognize Utica Community Schools as a visionary member of the zSpace Center of Excellence Program," said Paul Kellenberger, zSpace CEO.

"Education leaders, such as Superintendent Dr. Johns and the district’s principals, teachers and other educators, are embracing the power of today’s powerful technologies to prepare their students for the future."

Augmented and virtual reality learning looks to have a successful place in education but wide adoption is still a ways away. In the meantime, school districts like Utica will continue to pave a positive path in tech. 

Read the full release.

Article by Navindra Persaud, Education World Contributor.