Classical curriculum development firm Optima Domi will host an online virtual reality news conference and school tour via Zoom on Thursday, January 6, 2022, at 10:00 am to launch the world’s first and only virtual reality (VR) charter school, Optima Classical Academy (OCA), for the 2022-23 school year.
The tuition-free, cutting-edge charter school will enroll up to 1,300 students, grades 3-8, for its inaugural classes in August 2022. Based in Florida, the school plans to extend VR classes through the 10th grade for the 2023-24 academic year, then all K-12 students the following year.
OCA combines a virtual reality classroom with a classical learning model and a dedicated focus on student learning independence. Students will have the opportunity to step into a virtual world as their own personalized avatar, transported to a “classroom” at Pompeii, a pre-historic watering hole, or deep under the ocean. They will learn about historical events, characters, stories, fables, poetry, scientific facts, and mathematical proofs in a fully immersive experience, adding an unheard-of level of context to their studies.
“Classical education empowers rich knowledge that naturally fosters a love for learning and thinking. It is a learning pathway that we are proud to utilize,” said Erika Donalds, President and CEO of Optima Foundation. “Bridging the gap between advancing technology and our well-established curriculum, students can experience an immersive, collaborative, and social experience with their instructor and peers unlike any other virtual school available.”
OCA is committed to delivering quality education to students on a schedule that allows them to learn at their own pace, providing maximum flexibility for families. Students will attend live VR class sessions for about three hours a day, four days a week. So that students receive varying delivery methods, they will experience the rest of the curriculum online, outdoors on projects and assignments, or traditionally with books and other materials.
“Many parents felt frustrated with the transition to at-home learning at the beginning of the pandemic, unable to keep up with the responsibilities of their children’s curriculum. Alike, children were frustrated with sitting in front of a lagging computer screen all day long. The beauty of Optima Classical Academy is having your child safe at home for most of the day with all the necessary resources for them to learn independently,” said Adam Mangana, Executive Director of Optima Domi. “Our students are transported from their homes into a virtual classroom environment like no other, and for many, this cutting-edge learning experience is much more beneficial than Zoom or other standard virtual options.”
With constant evolvements in technology, VR headsets are becoming increasingly more accessible and inexpensive than ever before. Recent technological advances allow users to access the VR headset without being tethered to a computer or larger monitor, expanding the scalability and opportunity for the future of virtual reality. Education leaders worldwide are discussing the changing landscape of education, and many are ready to embrace a more technologically advanced learning environment, such as VR.
While OCA is the first of its kind and fosters an environment that allows for technology and ever-evolving advancements, they maintain a passion and focus on teaching civic virtue. OCA maintains that the only way to teach virtue online is through the common courtesy of connection that they aim to deliver through virtual reality.
For additional information on Optima Classical Academy, visit optimaclassical.org.
