PRESS RELEASE: XR Terra receives Generation Success Challenge Grant from Boston Opportunity Agenda

A Generation Success Challenge Grant awarded through the Boston Opportunity Agenda will allow XR Terra to extend the reach of its virtual reality (VR) program for high school students.

Although the coronavirus pandemic has brought XR — the blanket term for VR as well as augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) — into the spotlight, applications for the medium have already experienced immense growth in industries like health care, retail, and manufacturing, according to Hakan Satiroglu, co-founder and chief executive officer of XR Terra.

“XR will soon be a part of everyday life, making learning and mastering VR- and AR-related skills crucial,” Satiroglu said. “I thank Boston Opportunity Agenda for recognizing our efforts to bring XR into the world of K-12 education.”

The Generation Success Challenge Grant will expand access to the High School Introductory VR Developer Program, which XR Terra piloted last summer. The six-week program prepares students to understand the elements of immersive experience design while learning to use Unity, an industry-standard software tool for XR development. This foundation can be used for advanced study of experience design, gameplay interaction, and eventual certification as a Unity Certified Associate.

Although XR is seen as especially beneficial for young people considering careers in computer science, engineering, interactive media, fine arts, architecture, and design, learning XR tools and technologies will help all students with problem-solving and increase employability opportunities in the long term.

XR Terra is one of three recipients of the 2021 Generation Success Challenge Grant from the Boston Opportunity Agenda, a public/ private partnership working to dramatically increase the pace and scale of change in education for all Boston children, with a focus on students who experience the least access to successful pathways.