Ashland-Greenwood Elementary School | January 15, 2026
On January 15th, students and families at Ashland-Greenwood Elementary School stepped into entirely new worlds during STEM Night—thanks to an immersive Virtual Reality experience brought by Prairie STEM.
Prairie STEM arrived with 20 VR headsets, each a Meta Quest device, and a library of around 100 engaging educational and creative apps designed to spark curiosity and exploration. Throughout the evening, students were able to explore oceans, create art in three dimensions, and experience learning in ways that simply aren’t possible with traditional tools.
🌊 Explore the Ocean Without Getting Wet
One of the most popular experiences of the night was Ocean Rift, a virtual underwater adventure that lets students explore different marine environments. In this immersive experience, students learned about 12 fascinating ocean creatures and the ecosystems they call home.
Instead of reading about marine life in a textbook, students could:
- Swim alongside dolphins
- Observe sharks up close
- Explore coral reefs
- Discover how animals adapt to different ocean environments
For many students, it was their first time experiencing VR, and the excitement was contagious as they described what they saw to their friends and families.
🎨 Creativity in 3 Dimensions
Another favorite was Open Brush, an incredible 3-D painting app that lets students create art all around them in virtual space.
Students used a variety of creative tools to:
- Paint glowing sculptures in the air
- Build colorful structures around themselves
- Experiment with light, motion, and color
The result was a powerful mix of art, technology, and imagination. Many students were amazed that they could literally walk through their own artwork.
✈️ Experience Flight and History
Students also had the chance to take to the skies with Warplanes: Battles over Pacific, an exciting VR flight simulator that places players in the cockpit of World War II–era aircraft.
In this arcade-style experience, students could:
- Pilot historic WWII fighter planes
- Practice aerial maneuvers and dogfighting
- Take off from aircraft carriers
- Learn how pilots relied on quick thinking, navigation, and engineering
While thrilling, the activity also sparked conversations about aerodynamics, aviation engineering, and the history of flight, giving students a glimpse into the technology and science behind aircraft design.
Why Virtual Reality Is Powerful for STEM Learning
Virtual Reality provides experiences that go far beyond traditional classroom tools. With VR, students can:
- Visit environments that would otherwise be impossible to access
- Visualize complex concepts in 3-D
- Engage multiple senses while learning
- Build creativity and curiosity through exploration
When students are fully immersed in a learning experience, they become active participants rather than passive observers.
