Polar VR Fellowship Opportunity

Hello innovators, outreachers, and games-interested librarians! Spread this far and wide with your networks.

I am SO pumped to be sharing with everyone a chance to apply to join our 2024-2025 "PolarVR" Fellowship! If you'd like to get involved with learning game design, Latinx outreach, and library implementation research at the most innovative level, you'll definitely want to apply. Participants also get a FREE Oculus VR headset to utilize in their library. Here's a bit more info about this unique opportunity:

• We’re looking for school or public librarians in rural communities throughout Wisconsin to help us envision and implement a series of *new* Virtual Reality (VR) experiences. These experiences will focus on cutting edge research currently being done by scientists in the Arctic and Antarctic polar regions. We are specifically seeking participants who are motivated to develop, promote, and implement library programming focused on improving outreach to Latine audiences.
  
  
• Where do you come in? As a fellow, you’ll share your expertise as a librarian to help us develop strategies and ideas for implementing the VR experiences at your library with Latine audiences. We will supply you with the technology and training to make this happen. While no game development skills or design experience is required, you should be prepared to engage in outreach with Latine members and groups in your community, and have an interest in using VR technologies as part of your programming.
  
  
• Fellowship Activities Include:
• Participate* in a one-day, in-person project workshop and dinner event at UW-Madison** (July 17, 2024 10:00 AM -7:00 PM). [Lodging and travel stipend provided if needed],
• Commit to implementing and reflecting on one or more Latine-focused VR experiences in your library space,
• Support our team in evaluating the project-focused programming in your library,
• Provide feedback (via surveys, interviews, and follow-up online meetings) on the design and implementation process and share what you learned through your involvement in the project,
  
  
• *Note: due to our goal of reaching a diverse range of libraries, we will only be able to invite one librarian from any single library to participate in the July 17th workshop. Additional staff from a single library, however, are welcome to participate in other aspects of the program.
  
  
• ** As an added bonus, interested Fellows are invited to stay in Madison to attend the Play Make Learn Conference on July 18-19. We can also cover registration fees and lodging for this if needed! 

The deadline to apply is May 29th, 2024. More detailed information about this opportunity, including how to apply, is located here:

• CALL FOR PARTICIPATION; REGISTRATION LINK INCLUDED HERE

This is a chance to participate in games-and-libraries leadership in Wisconsin! If you feel this opportunity is the right fit for you and your library, and you are motivated to develop innovative programming intended to reach Latine and rural communities, apply today! If you have any questions, you can always email me at Chris.Baker@dpi.wi.gov and I'll do my best to assist.

Game on! I look forward to working with some of you starting this July! 

~Chris