Marcus Shingles, co-founder and CEO of competition organizer Exponential Destiny, made the announcement of a new prize competition, inviting young people to create virtual experiences to raise awareness about the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Shingles has a US based organization, Metaverse for SDGs Global Prize and VR Competition and he was accompanied by the young group that designed it.
It was announced that there’s a $30,000 cash prize for the participant or group that develops the best virtual reality SDG experience.
The Sustainable Development Goals in Virtual Reality
Young individuals are exposed to the option of training “to code the next generation of the Internet”, as it’s described by the Exponential Destiny team. There is a broader vision to increase the efforts for progress on the SDGs – the 17 key goals adopted by the UN for 2030.
This program provides opportunities for low income background participants to start VR technology training to transition away from poverty experiences.
According to Shingles, Immersive VR experiences can be designed with “no-code programming”, using a visual interface that is more accessible for new learners.
“The window of opportunity to capitalize on these skills is now,” said Kevin Vega, a 20-year-old college student and VR education beneficiary who now mentors others at Exponential Destiny.
How to compete
Are you or students you know interested in learning more about the SDG metaverse competition? Here’s how to get involved:
- Who can participate?
- Students from two categories – aged 14 to 18, or post-secondary students aged 19 and older – may enter as part of a team of 2–6 individuals. Teams can be located anywhere in the world.
- How can teams enter?
- Student teams can use one of several free Metaverse Virtual Reality platforms to build and create immersive experiences around their chosen SDG. More information and entry instructions can be found on the competition website.
- When is the competition running?
- Teams will have from 1 March to 1 August 2022 to bring one SDG “to life”, specifically by creating an immersive and experiential learning environment in VR.
- How is the winner determined?
- 34 teams – representing the two age categories for each of the 17 SDGs – will go on to enter the grand finals in October 2022. There, the entry deemed “Overall Best Experience of Show” will be awarded the grand cash prize and honours. More information on the evaluation process can be found on the competition website.
source: Metaverse 2030: Experiencing the SDGs in virtual reality – ITU Hub