Bodyswaps & Meta Immersive Learning Give VR Training Grants to 106 Institutions

Bodyswaps, together with Meta Immersive Learning, has announced the final list of higher and further education institutions to participate in their Immersive Learning Pilot Programme.

Bodyswaps is a VR learning platform that brings realistic simulations and artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled feedback to soft skills training. Users can practice their soft skills without real-world self-consciousness while building the communication, teamwork and leadership skills needed to succeed in a global job market.

The Immersive Learning Pilot Programme aims to allow wider access to immersive learning technologies in education and supports students with gaining the necessary soft skills needed to compete and stand out in a global job market. 106 colleges and universities across the globe will receive access to virtual reality hardware and software with a 3-month unlimited access to the full Bodyswaps soft skills learning library. Meta will support with hardware donations of Meta Quest 2 VR headsets.

A variety of courses will be available to the grantees, including modules on diversity and inclusion, public speaking and employability training, to empower their students with soft skill development that might have been hindered as a result of the pandemic.

The grant will double up as a research project led by Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, leveraging data collected from students and staff, to demonstrate the potential impact of metaverse technologies in education.

“Immersive technologies represent an immense opportunity to improve education for traditionally underserved populations,” said Christophe Mallet, CEO and Co-founder of Bodyswaps. “This grant, the largest of its kind ever, will demonstrate the impact VR learning can have at scale and show the way for a more human-centric and equalitarian future for education.”

Through Meta Immersive Learning, Meta is investing $150M to help develop the next-generation of metaverse creators, fund high quality immersive experiences that can transform the way we learn, and increase access to learning through technology.

Together Bodyswaps and Meta Immersive learning are demonstrating the possibilities for learning in the metaverse to institutions that may not have had access without the grant.

The full list of institutions to receive the grant include: West Virginia University Institute of Technology; King’s College; Tyne Coast College; Mohawk College; Forth Valley College; Liverpool John Moores University; University of Southampton; University of Nottingham; Durham College; University of Regina; Chelmsford College; Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick; De Montfort University; Collège Boréal; The University of Sheffield; Manchester Metropolitan University; IADT; University of Toronto; Wrexham Glyndwr University; Western University Canada; Abbeygate Sixth Form College; One Sixth Form College; School of Computing, University of Leeds; Plataforma Abierta de Innovación y Desarrollo de Jalisco; Coventry University; Boise State University; Birmingham City University; University of Greenwich; Foróige; CORE Education Trust: Rockwood, Jewellery Quarter, City and Arena Academies; Windsor Forest Colleges Group – BCA campus; Texas Woman’s University; Parker University; South Bank Colleges (Lambeth College); Cornell University; Elmhurst University; USP College; University of Chester; Highline Public Schools; Henley Business School; ReDI School of Digital Integration gGmbH; University of Westminster; RCSI; University of Law; University of Limerick (Glucksman Library); ATU; Education Partnership NE; University of the West of England; University of Galway IdeasLab; The College of New Jersey; University of San Francisco; Trinity College Dublin; Ravensbourne University London; Cardiff and Vale College; St George’s, University of London; Trent/Fleming School of Nursing; Ecole des Ponts Business School; University of Glasgow; Cork College of FET-Morrison’s Island Campus; George Fox University; Newham College London; Alpena Community College; University of St. Thomas; NPTC Group of Colleges; Center for KickGlass Change, Miami University; Southessex College; Belvedere College; Capital University; South Thames Colleges Group; Gosport and Fareham Multi Academy Trust; Heart of Worcestershire College; Western Kentucky University (Gordon Ford College of Business); Howest University of Applied Sciences; Department of Business Development and Technology; York St John University London Campus; University of Northampton; McMaster University; Learnedly Canada Inc.; London Churchill College; Thomas More; Runshaw College; University of Liverpool; UofT Rotman; Brighton Metropolitan College / part of Chichester College Group; Gies College of Business, University of Illinois; University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust; Royal Society of Medicine; Solihull College & University Centre; Myerscough College; ZHAW University of Applied Science; University of South Wales; Lindenwood University; Burton and South Derbyshire College; Hogeschool VIVES; Conestoga College; Fanshawe College; Riverside College and Cronton Sixth Form; Hochschule Ravensburg Weingarten; Basingstoke College of Technology; Technological University Dublin; New Braunfels Independent School District; Bradford College; Coventry University London; Université Paris Cité; University College London; and Syracuse University.