Students at Northeast Range in St. Louis County School District recently stepped into new creative worlds through VR Arts Immersion, an innovative virtual reality arts program delivered by Perpich Center for Arts Education.
Toni Beckler, Training and Development Specialist at Perpich, visited Northeast Range on October 13 to guide students through the immersive experience, which uses virtual reality to introduce young people to working artists, artistic traditions and new ways of understanding the world around them.
The program is part of a collaboration between Perpich and Act One, an Arizona nonprofit dedicated to expanding students’ access to meaningful arts experiences. Through the partnership, Perpich is bringing Act One’s original virtual reality content to Minnesota classrooms, helping students explore the arts in new and engaging ways.
“It is important for rural communities to learn about other areas, customs, and artists. We notice differences and also see that we are all connected,” said Susan Melgeorge, Art Instructor.
Act One’s VR Arts Immersion ™ experiences transport students beyond the classroom through original content featuring artists, art forms and cultures. Current experiences include Freedom in Expression, which explores public art, muralism, music and creative careers, and Weaving Our Story, which centers the lives, art and cultures of six Arizona Indigenous artists.
At Northeast Range, students were introduced to the Duncan family, a native family who tells stories through dance, voice, and music, Las Azaleas, a female mariachi band in Tucson, and Sentrock, a muralist working in Chicago. One student said, “Through their music I felt a part of Students at Northeast Range in St. Louis County School District recently stepped into new creative worlds through VR Arts Immersion™, an innovative virtual reality arts program delivered by Perpich Center for Arts Education.
Toni Beckler, Training and Development Specialist at Perpich, visited Northeast Range on October 13 to guide students through the immersive experience, which uses virtual reality to introduce young people to working artists, artistic traditions and new ways of understanding the world around them.
The program is part of a collaboration between Perpich and Act One, an Arizona nonprofit dedicated to expanding students’ access to meaningful arts experiences. Through the partnership, Perpich is bringing Act One’s original virtual reality content to Minnesota classrooms, helping students explore the arts in new and engaging ways.
“It is important for rural communities to learn about other areas, customs, and artists. We notice differences and also see that we are all connected,” said Susan Melgeorge, Art Instructor.
Act One’s VR Arts Immersion™ experiences transport students beyond the classroom through original content featuring artists, art forms and cultures. Current experiences include Freedom in Expression, which explores public art, muralism, music and creative careers, and Weaving Our Story, which centers the lives, art and cultures of six Arizona Indigenous artists.
At Northeast Range, students were introduced to the Duncan family, a native family who tells stories through dance, voice, and music, Las Azaleas, a female mariachi band in Tucson, and Sentrock, a muralist working in Chicago. One student said, “Through their music I felt a part of their culture.” Another commented, “I thought it was a very good experience because I got to see things without traveling.”
The experience also supports classroom learning by giving educators opportunities to connect the virtual reality content with their curriculum and extend students’ exploration of the featured artists, ideas and art forms.
“Arts education can open doors to new perspectives, ideas and possibilities,” said Beckler. “Through this experience, we’re helping Minnesota students connect with artists and stories they might not otherwise encounter, while giving teachers new opportunities to bring arts learning into their classrooms.”
Dawn Merrill, ELA teacher said, “I’m so grateful that our students were given this wonderful opportunity to learn and experience other cultures and stories.”
Perpich will continue traveling across Minnesota to deliver VR Arts Immersion to students and support expanded access to meaningful arts learning in communities throughout the state.
Perpich Center for Arts Education in Golden Valley, Minnesota, is a Minnesota state agency created to promote access to and opportunities in arts education for Minnesota students, educators, schools, and districts. Perpich supports teaching in and through the arts through its Arts High School, statewide professional development and outreach programs, and extensive arts education library. The agency was created by the state legislature in 1985 at the urging of then Gov. Rudy Perpich. It was renamed in his honor after his death in 1995. Minnesota is one of only a handful of states in the nation with a dedicated state agency supporting arts education. Learn more at perpich. mn.gov.
Perpich’s Professional Development andResourcePrograms(PDR) serves arts educators across the state. PDR offers initiatives that address the rapidly changing needs of Minnesota teachers, schools, and districts. A staff of Arts Education Specialists and Professional Development leaders offer guidance and assistance in the arts to schools and educators to increase student achievement and engagement.
