A local middle school is using digital technology to help the National Park Service (NPS) reach new audiences.
On Wednesday, the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site (with the park service) announced a new partnership with Vancouver iTech Preparatory Middle School to highlight the park’s historical resources through a project known as FVvr (Fort Vancouver virtual reality).
The project partners history students with national park interpreters, curators and archaeologists to create an interactive web-based experience. Students are using special cameras to capture 360-degree images of the inside and outside of buildings and landscape features at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. The images will be linked together and combined with informational audio scripts about the history of the park.
Using Google Cardboard, or a similar smartphone headset, users can become completely immersed into a virtual reality experience that allows them to feel as if they are actually at Fort Vancouver in person.
The project is being led by iTech teachers John Zingale and David Midkiff, along with national park Curator Theresa Langford and Chief Ranger Bob Cromwell.
FVvr will be completed and available online by the end of next month.
