St. George School Receives Production Grant to Create Immersive Field Trips

St. George Municipal School Unit (MSU) Superintendent, Mike Felton, applied for a production grant through an organization called CareerViewXR last year. After an application and interview process, the PK-8 school was selected as one of three winning schools from across the United States. The prizes awarded to the school included one 12-month subscription to the CareerViewXR platform, two HTC VIVE virtual reality headsets, and two field trips produced in their region.

CareerViewXR works with students, educators, businesses, and state agencies to develop immersive virtual reality experiences that allow students to explore careers across sectors - especially in the trades and technical fields. Using footage of real professionals doing real work in real world work environments, they create interactive, web-based field trips that can be accessed by any device as well as virtual reality videos for VR headsets.

The two companies that will be featured in the virtual field trips in Maine are Steel-Pro, in Rockland and Cushman Lobster Corporation in Port Clyde. Through the grant prize, St. George MSU students will also have access to virtual field trips in other locations across the United States.

Felton shared that he felt fortunate for the opportunity to be working with CareerViewXR and that he is looking forward to "working together to find new ways to innovate, engage students, and support our local businesses."

The collaboration aligns with St. George MSU's Career & Technical Education (CTE)/ Makerspace Project - a partnership with MidCoast School of Technology to develop a PreK-12 CTE Program and construct a CTE/Makerspace Building next to St. George School. The new building will have a shop space for carpentry, metalworking, and boatbuilding as well as a Makerspace with 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC routers, robotics, and sewing machines. The goal for the project is to provide a model for transforming education by ensuring all students, PreK-12, have access to hands-on and minds-on, technical learning connected to career and community.

Through Steel-Pro, students will be immersed in the manufacturing of stainless-steel tanks, biopharmaceutical equipment, vacuum chambers and other custom designed equipment. "Steel-Pro being 100% Employee Owned, we're all about our employees and that includes our future employees," stated Steve Ladd, Steel-Pro President and CEO. "Collaborating with St George MSU, giving kids exposure to hands-on technical career opportunities has been an awesome experience. We are thankful to St George for letting us take part in their CTE journey."

Aboard the Fishing Vessel RYLEEFINN with Michael Cushman and Cassie Clough, students be able to experience what it's like rising before dawn to spend the day hauling lobster traps in Penobscot Bay. "We are very happy to be helping with this project," shared Cassie Clough.

"Our hope in being involved from the fishing side is to show that even with all of the challenges this industry is facing (over regulations, offshore wind, etc.), it can still be a career worth pursuing. Our coastal communities in Maine rely heavily on what lobstering brings economically to the area and it is still a very important part of Maine's identity."

The CareerViewXR Production grant will allow St George MSU to enhance students' learning experiences and career exploration opportunities.

"Through the use of VR immersive experiences, CareerViewXR will provide a new, innovative way to engage students in learning connected to career and community," explained Superintendent Felton. "Working alongside local tradespeople and businesses, while utilizing cutting edge technologies, we'll move toward our goals of re-engaging students in learning, helping them understand career opportunities in their community, and, ultimately, strengthening our local economy."

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