“Voces en Realidad Virtual: Historias de Cambio” (Voices in VR: Stories of Change)
Designer, Developer, Co-PI (PI is Dr. Tim Downs of Clark University)

• Project in development as part of a multi-faceted, multi-member NSF PIRE grant ($1 million)
• Collaborative work with Clark University’s IDCE and UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico) partners
• VR engagement in presenting a multitude of digital atlas elements including (and focused on) personal narratives in lived spaces, GIS and mapping data in interactive formats, immersive soundscapes, virtual interactions with citizen science technology as training, and 360 video-scapes
• Shared project work with undergraduates in Studio as an experiential case-study

Mexico City’s large and growing demand for water has relied on redirecting water from surrounding sources in the Mexico water basin. However, the demand outweighs the supply; which depletes the source area of water needed for its own purposes and population. This causes adverse effects in the surrounding communities.  

This is a large three year project funded by an NSF Pire grant to allow Clark University and UNAM to co-create various awareness raising research products for public consumption. These include an online GIS Atlas containing a collection of maps and geotagged data specifically related to weather, climate change, and water values; DIY weather stations for citizen science; personal narratives from the affected populace; 360 film of the areas visited for this project; and an immersive VR experience.

The objective of the VR component of the project is to present the above noted variety of information in a way that is immersive and more easily digestible than tables or text, while also fostering interaction. Thus, the VR experience allows users to glimpse the environment’s past, present, and potential future with a focus on centering community voices and encouraging citizen participation. Our goal is to raise awareness in affected communities and empower them to delve deeper, work together, voice their concerns, pass on the knowledge and issues, and co-create solutions that work for their communities.

My personal reasons for wanting to be part of this project include the desire to foster an immersive, interactive environment rich in storytelling directly from those affected by the challenges to be addressed. There is significant evidence that in-game actions and behaviors toward goals, affect real-world participation and action in a similar manner (so ideally, positively). I am also invested in this project as my family and friends are directly affected and the focus on co-creating with our UNAM partners is philosophically and pedagogically important to me.