Visiting VWEC Eduverse Welcome Center in Second Life (Updated May 21, 2022)

Updated 5-21-22

Today I went to the Grand Opening of the VWEC Eduverse Welcome Center. The Region was almost full, so I left early to allow everyone else a chance to visit.

Part of the Opening Ceremony - Speeches, Awards, and Applause.

The Campus remained mostly unchanged, but they had added posters with links to SL Eduverse Participants:

Etopia Landing Point

Rockcliffe University Orientation

The Science Circle

Virtech

Community Virtual Library

VWEC Eduverse

The program included guided or notecard tours, photo ops, and (of course) champagne.

From my earlier visit in April:

I had heard about VWEC Eduverse from Thinkerer's blog, but I didn't know much about it. I decided to visit it to learn more. 

Apparently Linden Labs has offered support to a team from VWEC (Virtual Worlds Education Community) to set up a gateway site where educators can learn more about Second Life and education in virtual reality.

Near the teleport site is an Educational Resources area. There are virtual books set up by Curious George that, when touched, give you links to works like The VW Teaching Manual, Education Meets the Metaverse, Feynman Lectures, and Coming of Age in Second Life.  

There is some artwork by current and former Second Life residents.

Posters on another side of the Educational Resources area give notecards and items. 

Some of the posters at Eduverse

Down a staircase/ramp  there are some additional resources for educators.

In the other direction you go up a stair/ramp to a platform where there is a map of the Region. 

At the very top is the Newcomer Center, with portals made by actuality that give you teleport landmarks and notecards about Rockcliffe University, Caledon Oxbridge, Virtual Ability, and Firestorm Gateway. 

There is also an Info Center.

The VWEC Pavilion provides another meeting area.  At one side there are portals made by Dawn Greymyst that give you a teleport map to places like the Community Virtual Library, Nonprofit Commons, Nova Community College, Octagon, Rockcliffe University, University of New Mexico, Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable, Whole Brain Health, and Builder's Brewery. Touch the blue information icon for a notecard. 

The Commons is a "flexible space for demonstrating and experiencing different forms of learning"

This seems like a great entryway for educators. It reassuringly looks like it might be part of a normal college campus - nothing weird. For now it seems to be open to ordinary residents like me.

Some additional information:

Marcel Mosswood talks about her experience volunteering at VWEC.

A discussion on the Confederation of Democratic Simulators on whether to join Eduverse, and a transcript. 

See the destination guide for some of the educational institutes in Second Life.