What if we could use technology to collapse the distance between a student’s world and the world they dream of seeing?
That’s the bold vision behind Hilary Lozar’s Thinkering Fellowship capstone project—a scalable, immersive learning experience designed to introduce rural and tribal youth to the cultural, outdoor, and career experiences they’ve too often been excluded from.
But this isn’t about putting students into someone else’s story.
It’s about letting them belong in their own.
Reimagining Access: A New Frontier for Learning
Hilary grew up surrounded by rivers, forests, and rich cultural knowledge. She took outdoor adventures and cultural experiences for granted—until she realized many of her students had never left the 20-mile radius of their own town.
In her work at a Montana Boys & Girls Club, Hilary regularly encounters students who have never fished their local river, visited a nearby national park, or heard the tribal stories embedded in their landscape. Why? Barriers of cost, travel, access, and awareness.
Her response? A VR-powered library of place-based, culturally relevant, experiential learning modules, developed in partnership with local experts and communities, and designed to make the inaccessible feel personal.
"If I can start it with one experience in one Boys & Girls Club, we can build a legacy that scales across the country."
The Pivot with Purpose
Originally focused on capturing and sharing Indigenous cultural practices through 360° video, Hilary encountered hesitation from local tribes about permissions and protocols. Rather than abandon the vision, she pivoted with care—choosing instead to focus first on underrepresented outdoor and vocational experiences that her students might otherwise never have.
Think: Fly fishing on the Flathead River. Kayaking near glacier-fed lakes. Participating in a community-led STEM or artisan project. All filmed in 360° and transformed into immersive modules.
Her long-term dream remains: to earn the trust of tribal elders and bring their knowledge into the project only when ready, invited, and appropriately honored. Until then, she's modeling what ethical innovation looks like—leading with curiosity, not extraction.
"I want this to be a legacy—not just an experience."
The Model: Capture. Create. Connect.
Hilary’s capstone model is built on three pillars:
Capture: Partner with local experts to film place-based experiences in 360° video.
Create: Collaborate with Thinkering and network partners to develop immersive VR environments accessible via headsets or web.
Connect: Make these experiences available through Boys & Girls Clubs, schools, and public libraries—especially in underserved communities.
The tech may be cutting-edge, but the goal is timeless: inclusion, belonging, and opportunity.
A Seed Becomes a Network
Already, Hilary has made vital connections:
AIEDU to explore technical support for VR development
Salty Shark Studios and Headwaters Tech Hub for immersive education expertise
Local experts and tribal leaders for future storytelling collaborations
She’s also building strong local support within her club and school system—and she’s not alone. Her capstone caught the attention of Thinkering’s founder, Belouga’s global network, and educators worldwide.
Scaling a Legacy
Hilary’s vision is nothing short of national:
A digital library of immersive learning modules used across Boys & Girls Clubs of America
VR donations or lending programs to ensure equity of access
Ongoing collaboration with communities to ensure stories are authentic, ethical, and enduring
But first, it starts with one story. One student. One headset.
And one educator who believes that access shouldn’t be an accident.
📽️ Support this VR Experiential Learning Capstone Project here!
