The inaugural Meta Educators Community Summit (held in Palo Alto, CA | October 17-18, 2024) gathered approximately 70 educators at the forefront of using immersive technologies. This marked a significant milestone for Meta’s commitment to immersive technologies in education. Representatives from 26 universities, a few K-12 institutions, and several Meta employees experienced various universities’ VR initiatives and provided feedback on Meta’s VR education efforts.

Recognized as leaders in the field, the University of Miami was well represented by the School of Communication Interactive Media Program Chair and Director of the UMverse, Kim Grinfeder, and by Tom Merrick, Sr. Project Manager of XR Initiatives, who delivered a presentation on UM’s First Year Directions (FYD) VR app that was met with great enthusiasm.