Act One Uses Virtual Reality to Bring Arts Access to Students Across Arizona

By Doyal D'Angelo Bolin

When students put on virtual reality (VR) headsets in their classrooms, they become entrenched in another world. As they follow the animated Act One bus that lifts off the ground and soars into the sky, a collective gasp fills the room. "The kids just gasp, like this universal gasp. And you're like, 'Oh, we got them. They're ready to go,'" says Beth Maloney, who joined Act One as the first teacher on staff and helped build the VR program from an educator's perspective.

Act One's mission focuses on providing access to the arts, and its VR program specifically addresses barriers like geography and finances. Unlike traditional field trips limited to students within 60 miles of Phoenix or Tucson, Act One's VR field trips reach students throughout Arizona. The organization travels with 50 VR headsets and its own Wi-Fi to schools in remote areas like Kingman and Yuma, bringing immersive arts experiences directly to students who might otherwise never have such opportunities.

The exposure leads to measurable outcomes – research shows low-income students with arts access have a 4% dropout rate compared to 22% for those without. 

For students facing access challenges, these experiences can be transformative. "Students who participate in the arts, their SAT scores are higher than students who do not participate in the arts," Alyssa Still, development director at Act One, said. 

The mobility of the VR program enables Act One to reach students in tribal communities and rural areas with culturally relevant content.

The program is carefully designed to mirror the educational value of in-person field trips. Students experience VR content in 8-10 minute "chapters," then remove their headsets for guided discussions before continuing to the next segment. 

"Research tells us that virtual reality is great for introducing students to knowledge, to really immerse them in the content,” Maloney said. “But we also learned that it needs to be done in bite-sized chunks.” 

Act One's VR curriculum is carefully crafted to align with educational objectives while remaining flexible for teachers. 

"They're curated to be three chapters together to tell one story, but they can also stand alone if a teacher wants to do a mix and match,” Maloney said. This adaptability makes integration into existing classroom plans more seamless. 

Act One currently offers two VR experiences with a third in development. The first focuses on how the Mexican mural movement inspired modern artists, featuring a Chicago-based muralist born in Tolleson, Arizona, and an all-female mariachi group from Tucson. The second experience showcases Indigenous Arizona artists, including Tyrell Tipa, a sixth-generation Diné sheepherder; the Duncan family of hoop dancers; and Janelle Stanley, who created the terrazzo floors at Sky Harbor Airport.

Still emphasized that these experiences particularly resonate with students who see their own heritage celebrated. 

"One of the students who has Indigenous ancestry shared with us that it made her feel so good to be able to see her culture represented," Still said. 

The organization's approach to content development prioritizes representation and authenticity. When creating their Indigenous artists series, they ensured the artists told their own stories in their own voices. This first-person narrative style helps students connect more deeply with the material and see potential paths for their own creative expression.

In the popular Tucson mariachi chapter, students often can't contain their enthusiasm.

"There are so many students that are just dancing in their seats," Maloney said. "Their arms are going, their feet are tapping. And if they know the songs, they are often singing along. Kids sometimes cry and say, 'My grandma used to sing that song.'"

For urban students, the virtual trips to places like Four Corners also offer views of landscapes they might never otherwise experience, while students with mobility challenges have expressed joy at "visiting" previously inaccessible locations.

"Exposure to the arts builds empathy in people," Maloney said. "It really puts you in someone else's shoes, literally gives you someone else's perspective, and that is needed now, I think, more than ever before."

With support from the Burton Family Foundation, Act One continues expanding its innovative approach to arts education. As they plan their next VR experience exploring the intersection of science and art, they remain committed to ensuring these experiences remain accessible to all Arizona students, regardless of geography or financial resources.

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Learn more about Act One at www.act1az.org

Photos courtesy of Act One.