Virtual reality, or VR, describes immersive, computer-generated environments that a person can explore and manipulate. VR can create spaces where newcomers can experience new situations in low-stress environments and allows them to build confidence navigating unfamiliar settings. Incorporating current technologies in resettlement can improve newcomer access to services, help develop a sense of community among resettlement professionals, and promote feelings of safety among new arrivals. It can also help newcomers improve digital literacy skills that are crucial to successful integration in the U.S., as well as pique their interest in and exposure to emerging technologies.
Switchboard, in partnership with the Seattle-based project with Refugees Northwest Foster Care (RNWFC)—a program from Lutheran Community Services Northwest (LCSNW)—focused on creating immersive learning experiences for Unaccompanied Refugee Minors (URMs), generated 360° VR videos co-designed for newcomers that include walkthroughs of U.S. schools, doctors’ offices, pharmacies, and public transportation. The process of creating the VR modules was informed by field research using a co-creative model between paid former refugees hired as research affiliates and design students at the University of Utah.
This 360° VR video features Seattle University and is on the site of Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Employment for Women (ANEW), a technical program for the construction industry. These videos don't just show physical spaces—they incorporate voiceovers expressing the internal thoughts, questions, and concerns that URMs typically experience when considering their educational futures.