Georgian College has partnered with the Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB) and the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies to bring an Indigenous language virtual reality (VR) tool to the classroom. SCDSB and SIIT will use Georgian’s Indigenous language VR worlds tool to teach elementary to postsecondary students about Indigenous languages, cultures, and treaties; contribute to the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action; and support the preservation of Indigenous languages. The VR worlds will give students a place to socialize, practice speaking the languages, and learn more about Indigenous elements such as the Medicine Wheel. “Creating innovative virtual worlds and then teaching Indigenous languages in them has truly been a labour of love,” said Georgian Indigenous Studies Coordinator Michele O’Brien. “We are so excited to collaborate with educational partners to make Indigenous languages and cultures accessible to even more people.”
