How one woman is creating ‘virtual field trips’ to give students of colour more access to history.

by Caroline O'Neill

Kai Frazier has worked at some of the top museums in Washington, D.C., but she left it all behind to bring history into hands of students of colour through what she calls virtual reality (VR) field trips. Now she spends her days filming museums and monuments across America to create videos that students can watch on virtual reality headsets. She’s bringing the stories of Martin Luther King Jr and Barack Obama into the hands of students at an earlier age. She says she hopes this will create a supplementary resource for teachers and encourage cultural institutions that diverse outreach should be a priority.

Virtual reality is uncharted territory in a lot of ways, but Kai’s relocated to California to work with innovative leaders in Silicon Valley. Her work is already causing waves in the museum community and she was recently appointed to the board of directors for the Museum Computer Network, an organization helping cultural institutions grow their digital capacities.  

I phoned Kai in California, where she’s working to create more content for the next generation of learners.

Caroline O'Neill is an Ottawa based morning reporter with Aboriginal Peoples Television Network's radio station, ELMNT FM. She is a graduate from Carleton University's School of Journalism and holds a degree in human rights. Caroline has also worked in Washington, D.C., Sri Lanka and Toronto.