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MY HERO Project's VR for Good Campaign

by Riley McMahon

photo: RYOT
photo: RYOT
The MY HERO Project has long been at the forefront of promoting and celebrating individuals and institutions that help shape our world with openness, understanding, growth and peace. As technology has evolved, so has our ability to share these stories in a wide variety of media. MY HERO began as a platform for individuals to express what heroism means to them and to share stories of the heroes that helped shape their lives. With the realization that creativity through all its channels is an act of heroism, as well as the most profound way of promoting human understanding and compassion, MY HERO grew to include story-telling though many different platforms.
MY HERO’s 2016 Global Educator Award recipient experiences Virtual Reality. Photo courtesy of Esther Wojcicki
MY HERO’s 2016 Global Educator Award recipient experiences Virtual Reality. Photo courtesy of Esther Wojcicki
The MY HERO International Film Festival brings people from countless countries together and has been growing since its inception. The MY HERO Art Gallery illustrates heroism and gives everyone a space to share, in color and imagination, what heroism means. Now, storytellers, artists and programmers are coming together to create immersive experiences through virtual reality, which is a powerful vehicle to promote messages of compassion, understanding, and peace. My Hero has long worked with educators to bring these messages to the classroom and now with its VR for GOOD campaign, strives to help immerse individuals, students and educators in experiences that can bridge the gaps of our differences and promote collective understanding. 
Kayla Briët, Winner of MY HERO's 2015 Emerging Artist Award, tries out the HTC VIVE. Photo courtesy of Kayla Briet
Kayla Briët, Winner of MY HERO's 2015 Emerging Artist Award, tries out the HTC VIVE. Photo courtesy of Kayla Briet
The MY HERO Project's VR for Good Campaign includes three Initiatives; VR for Good Educator Resources, VR for Good Teacher & Student Training, and the VR for Good Immersive Storytelling Award within the MY HERO International Film Festival. The MY HERO VR For Good Educator Guides are designed to help teachers understand Virtual Reality and find creative ways to bring this new medium into the classroom.

My Hero is entering this platform full heartedly, and has discovered a treasure trove of positive content available for the medium. From immersive mediation applications, to news that places us in the perspective of the storytellers, we wish to both promote this content and be a place to share your own future immersive experiences.
MY HERO recently honored RYOT Foundation for sharing their meaningful 360-video content with pediatric patients. Photo: RYOT
MY HERO recently honored RYOT Foundation for sharing their meaningful 360-video content with pediatric patients. Photo: RYOT
We recently honored the RYOT Foundation (http://ryot.huffingtonpost.com,) at the 8th annual Laguna Hero Festival, for their great escape project, in which they are bringing VR experiences, along with their meaningful 360-video content, to pediatric patients. VR content creators are invited to submit immersive experiences for competition for the VR for Good Immersive Storytelling Award. The VR for Good award is for innovative VR content that promotes engagement, activism & social good.

We are working with, and awarding, educators and storytellers who respect the capabilities of this medium to promote messages of understanding, compassion and empathy. As this technology rapidly advances, and puts you in the seat of heroism, MY HERO will continue to explore ways in which its content can put you in the drivers seat of totally immersive experiences that celebrate the best of humanity. 


Page created on 7/14/2016 4:22:41 PM

Last edited 7/14/2016 4:22:41 PM

The beliefs, viewpoints and opinions expressed in this hero submission on the website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions of The MY HERO Project and its staff.

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