How would your class feel if they could go on a school trip walking across the Great Wall of China or take a deep sea dive to explore the bottom of the ocean?…All in one afternoon and without having to leave the classroom!

Google have just announced the new Expeditions Pioneer Program, a virtual journey tool designed for the classroom top give students an immersive, visual experience to enhance their learning.

The use of virtual reality viewers allows a teacher to “take” up to 50 children to locations a school bus couldn’t reach. The children use virtual-reality-viewers, a smartphone inside a cardboard viewer and can see a virtual, 360 degree view of the school trip. Using an app the teacher will be able to guide what the children can see, allowing sections to be highlighted and discussed as well as pausing the trip to allow for questions.

The best thing about this new programme is that Google are currently touring the programme to allow for schools to get involved at no charge or cost! If this sounds like something your school may be interested in you can sign up your school here. At least 6 teachers at the school need to express an interest and the tour will visit the schools that express the most interest first. If selected a date will be set for the Expeditions Pioneer Program to come to your school and lead students and teachers through Expeditions. Google want to involve as many students as possible and the tour will be stopping at local events alongside the schools that get involved so it’s worth registering your interest and checking the tour page to see when they will be nearby.

Currently the platform offers more than 100 virtual school trips and this number will continue to grow with support and feedback from teachers and students.

If you do get involved please let us know how it goes.