Keep an eye out next month for a crowdsourcing campaign meant to fund a new interactive, virtual aquarium being proposed for students ages 10 and up to learn more about the world’s oceans.
Over the past several years, the World Ocean Observatory has been wanting to build what it’s calling the “World Ocean Aquarium,” a free, interactive and virtual gaming experience that lets classrooms tour the various parts of the ocean via online exhibits and educational content:
“Situated at the depths of the ocean and based on realistic design, World Ocean Aquarium is a virtual interactive environment gaming experience that will allow users to take a self-explored or a guided tour through ocean exhibits and interact with educational content, curriculum, and goal-oriented activities, learning about marine species, habitat, ocean curriculum, chemistry, geography, oceanography, and more. Inspired by the Next Generation Science Standards and the Ocean Literacy Curriculum, the World Ocean Aquarium is an immersive submersible gaming experience designed to excite students about scientific ocean exploration and to promote ocean literacy worldwide.”
The organization plans to conduct a crowdsourcing campaign starting in October 2017 to raise US$25,000/20,841 Euros. If that money is raised, a private donor has pledged a matching gift. The $50,000/41,689 Euros will allow the observatory “to complete concept design and development and get the platform into classrooms in 2018.”
Organizers have posted a brief survey for those who might be interested in helping fund such a project at surveymonkey.com.
For more info, check out the organization’s website at worldoceanobservatory.org or watch the video below.
https://vimeo.com/232719831
