We recently announced the launch of BackpackX, the newest venture from Women Rise. Here we share more details about our plans.
BackpackX is a VR education initiative with a focus on educating children from marginalised communities in regions where the educational systems are broken or non-existent.
We are reimagining education. We strongly believe in educating children not only on the traditional subjects such as science or mathematics, but also on the important topics of our time such as gender equality, climate change, the refugee crisis, financial independence and more.
Using the power of art and innovative technology (VR/AR/XR), we bring immersive experiences and educational content that inspires children while learning. Through this experience we will also introduce young children to the exciting new world of Metaverse, AI and Web 3.
The first release from BackpackX will be a short animated film where children can learn about the impacts of climate change and what solutions are needed. It follows a young girl who is devastated when her village floods. She wants to help but doesn't understand the issue fully. As she drifts off to sleep, we enter her dreamworld and follow her to the Arctic, Brazil and Jordan to learn about the effects of climate change and the scientists, farmers and activists working to make a difference.
What was the motivation?
As emerging technologies like AR/VR/Metaverse go mainstream in the western world, we must not leave behind marginalised communities. Large corporations will focus on rolling out these technologies in the advanced economies. We aspire to do the same for those in vulnerable societies and hope that you will join us in our mission.
A recent study by the National Education Association of the United States found that VR has a 75% learning retention rate compared to 10% for reading and 20% for audio-visual. With stats like these, we must make efforts to make sure that marginalised communities are not left behind as technologies advance. BackpackX is first being brought to partner schools in Pakistan in October 2023.
BackpackX is an initiative led by an immigrant Pakistani team. Pakistan is one of the countries with highest rates of out of school children which makes this cause even closer to our hearts.
Why us?
Women Rise operates at the intersection of art, storytelling and emerging tech. We have built a community of over 80k that share a common vision to support girls' education and women rights using art as a tool for storytelling. We have already worked with renowned organisations that work for girls’ education, such as CAMFED and Malala Fund. Women Rise has always championed education and, in March 2023, Women Rise partnered with Girls Who Code (a New York based charity working to bring more girls and non-binary folks into STEM) on a three-day event full of immersive experiences at the intersection of art, tech and culture. This was another step forward in Women Rise’s mission to campaign for girls education in all areas.
The Rest of the Story…
BackpackX will launch with numerous partner schools, non-profit organisations and charity foundations across Pakistan in October. Working with partners to advance towards a common goal has always been key to us at Women Rise. If you or your organisation would like to collaborate with us, then do reach out for an initial conversation. You can follow along with our story by following BackpackX on LinkedIn.
