Tuesday, 16 August 2022 14:55

Fundación Gloria Kriete inaugurates the first Metaverse Science School simulated on Mars: “Oportunidad-X"

Written by Evelyn Alas

As part of the 15th anniversary of the Programa Oportunidades of the Fundación Gloria Kriete and thanks to the alliance with the NGO InnovaSpace and the company weSpark, El Salvador will have the first Metaverse science school on Mars. A space called “Oportunidad-X” where students will be able to explore the educational possibilities of the Metaverse.

Through the Metaverse, “Oportunidad-X” seeks to take immersive education to a higher level and promote new ways of learning to stimulate the minds of young people and encourage their curiosity for the careers of the future.

In this novel educational virtual universe, visitors will be able to move and interact with other people through avatars, this parallel universe will allow a very agile, almost real level of communication and interaction, which will make the distance learning experience easier and more human for students.

"With Oportunidad-X we seek to revolutionize the way students learn by providing them with a realistic and immersive environment to explore. Such a space will allow them to develop problem-solving skills and enhance their creativity. With the educational tools of our Programa Oportunidades and the educational and technological support of our partners, we are offering the first science school in the metaverse, an invaluable asset for educators and students alike", commented Juana Jule, Director of the Programa Oportunidades and executive director of Fundación Gloria Kriete.

The role of technology for education, online classes, virtual reality for didactic purposes and other similar resources, has grown by leaps and bounds due to the conditions imposed by the pandemic. Thanks to technology, it is possible to give students a chance to feel like they are studying and exploring another planet" says Jorge Zaun Köberl, the weSpark engineer and developer who implemented a large part of the school on Mars.

In recent years, Fundación Gloria Kriete has innovated education in the country, introducing online educational platforms, promoting STEAM and technological learning. The metaverse is the next step in this process, in “Oportunidad-X, program students will be able to showcase their advances in technology and their STEAM projects. Science, technology or mathematics will undoubtedly be much more understandable and accessible.

"Have you ever dreamed of studying on Mars? You could be one step closer with “Oportunidad-X, the first metaverse science school simulated on Martian soil at the click of a button. InnovaSpace is proud to be part of this disruptive, creative and high-tech scientific space project. This is a huge leap for the future of education" said Thais Russomano, MD, MSc, PhD, InnovaSpace founder and FGK ally.

The metaverse does not refer to a particular technology with a specific use, but rather a wide range of technologies that could have new uses and purposes never seen before. Eric Ravenscraft, product writer for Wired magazine and content generator for The New York Times suggests a mental exercise to help us better understand this idea.

"Mentally replace the term metaverse with the term cyberspace, ninety percent of the time the meaning will be the same." Ravenscract, explains that we refer to the metaverse as a way of trying to name or understand what the next step will be in what we know as cyberspace or the set of technologies we rely on most, and help shape our experience and the reality we form for ourselves.

"Websites are going to stop being flat pages and transform into experiences of three-dimensional worlds. The people who decide today to start creating these worlds will be the ones who will build the Metaverse of tomorrow", explained Nelson Inno, Founder & CEO of weSpark, who has been at the forefront of the design and modeling of the first scientific school on Mars that is now being launched.

Learning through innovative technology is a key objective for the Programa Oportunidades, with a focus on using innovative technologies to strengthen and diversify education through relational, immersive and inclusive experiences. Technology will engage students in a new and unique way, providing them with the opportunity to access live virtual classrooms with other students.

"During the pandemic we successfully ensured that students did not miss a day of learning through online continuing education. We believe that online and virtual reality technology enhances the education we provide, and that hybrid learning is here to stay. We will continue to embrace new technologies to broaden and strengthen the learning experience for our students", said, Jule.

The Fundación Gloria Kriete created the Programa Oportunidades 15 years ago with the mission to form integral citizens with free, high quality and innovative education. Young salvadorans who want to apply to Oportunidades can do so through: https://seleccionoportunidades.org/

Oportunidades is a program that has developed a unique philosophy, which combines vocational-professional orientation, with CRIARSE in values, citizenship training and a certification for employability, a formula that has benefited more than 3,600 young people in El Salvador and continues to impact lives, families, communities and society through the transformation of education in the country.