NYC Media Lab partners with Verizon to release free immersive educational content available to all US-based educators

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK (May 9, 2023) — Today, the NYC Media Lab announced the availability of new immersive educational content for all US-based educators. Developed in partnership with Verizon for the $1M Museum Initiative, over 50 augmented reality (AR)- and virtual reality (VR)-focused lesson plans are available on Verizon Innovative Learning HQ (verizon.com/learning) — the free online education portal that brings next-gen learning to all.  

Through the $1M Museum Initiative — a nationwide open call for museums and cultural institutions to develop and offer new immersive educational content—nine winning institutions utilized the power of 5G to create lesson plans based on existing apps available on Verizon Innovative Learning HQ.  

Launched in February 2022, the Museum Initiative was created with the aim of connecting app teams from the 5G EdTech Challenge — a nationwide open call for innovators, academics, and non-profit business leaders to submit ideas for transformative educational solutions — with selected museums, science centers, and cultural institutions across the country to design AR and VR-focused, learning standards-aligned lesson plans that can be easily accessed via the Verizon Innovative Learning HQ portal.  

Now live on the portal, the Museum Initiative lesson plans cover various K-12 subject matter from marine science and astronomy to fine art and Black and Brown history. The NYC Media  Lab and Verizon encourage educators of all stripes — K-12 teachers, administrators, enrichment program leaders, etc. — to create their free account to begin exploring immersive resources designed to help students learn in dynamic and innovative ways. 

Curricular highlights from all nine participating museums and their 5G edtech app team partners are featured below: 

• Belle Isle Conservancy (Detroit, MI): Using the Arcadia Earth app, learners explore oceans, discover various factors that have detrimental effects on marine life, and generate ideas on how to mitigate the effects of microplastics in their communities. 
   
• Children’s Creativity Museum (San Francisco, CA): Working with the 5G Covet: SNR  House app, students explore Wi-Fi signal strength and radio wave interference using various household materials. 
   
• Liberty Science Center (Jersey City, NJ): Harnessing the immersive power of the  Visceral Science app, middle school students gauge how astronomers measure distances throughout the Universe. 
   
• Memorial Art Gallery (Rochester, NY): Using the CocoCast app, elementary schoolers engage with virtual works of art to empower their critical thinking skills.
   
• Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (Brooklyn, NY): Middle and high school students access the Arcadia Earth app to explore climate justice through the lens of residents of Africa and its diaspora. 
   
• Ocean Institute (Dana Point, CA): Through the Aurelia app, marine science learners delve into ecosystems, adaptation, and conservation applications. 
   
• San Diego African American Museum of Fine Art (San Diego, CA): Students access the Kinfolk AR app to learn about unsung heroes and consider the impact that monuments have on our understanding of history. 
   
• Providence Children’s Museum (Providence, RI): Elementary schoolers explore how experience shapes identity through the Unsung AR app. 
   
• The Franklin Institute (Philadelphia, PA): High school students use the Looking Inside: Cells VR app to explore the structure of brain cells and neural networks.  

As we celebrate the launch of the museum curricula, Abran Maldonado, NYC Media Lab’s Director for the 5G EdTech Challenge program, takes stock of the year-long initiative and says, “These innovative resources, developed in collaboration with nine dedicated museums, will not only support educators in their efforts to enhance learning experiences for students, but also have the potential to significantly improve educational outcomes and increase student engagement. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the museums who have worked tirelessly to create these immersive lessons. Their dedication and commitment to education is truly  inspiring." 

To access over 275 lesson plans and the edtech apps referenced above, simply register for a free Verizon Innovative Learning HQ account. Verizon Innovative Learning is a key part of  Citizen Verizon, the company’s responsible business plan for economic, environmental, and social advancement — to help move the world forward for all. 

Media Contact: 
Marion Bernstein 
Associate Director of Programs & Communications, 5G EdTech Challenge NYC Media Lab, NYU Tandon School of Engineering 
marion.bernstein@nyu.edu 

About Verizon Innovative Learning 
Verizon Innovative Learning, Verizon’s award-winning education initiative, is celebrating over a  decade of commitment to addressing barriers to digital inclusion for students and teachers.  Since 2012, the program has committed $1 billion in market value to support digital equity,  reaching over 3 million students. Verizon Innovative Learning provides free technology, internet access, and emerging technology-infused learning programs to students in under-resourced communities — enabling students to develop the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to build an innovative workforce of the future. In 2021, Verizon launched Verizon Innovative Learning HQ, a next-gen online education portal that provides free access to immersive extended reality (XR) educational experiences to all educators, including K-12 teachers,  nationwide. A key program under Citizen Verizon, the company’s responsible business plan for economic, environmental, and social advancement, Verizon Innovative Learning is helping to drive the company’s goal to provide 10 million youths with digital skills training by 2030. Learn more at citizenverizon.com. 

About the NYC Media Lab 
The NYC Media Lab connects media and technology companies with both NYU Tandon and industry affiliates to drive innovation, entrepreneurship, and talent development. Our interdisciplinary community of innovators from industry and academia allows our network to gain valuable insights, explore the potential of emerging technology, and address the challenges and opportunities created by the rapidly evolving digital media landscape. Learn more at engineering.nyu.edu/nyc-media-lab.