Boys & Girls Club Hosts Virtual Reality Launch Event

Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Minnesota is hosting a launch event to celebrate the introduction of Virtual Reality to complement their CareerSTART programs. Board and staff of the Boys & Girls Club are inviting the community to test out the virtual reality equipment at the launch event, scheduled for Thursday, November 17, 2022, from 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. at the Southside Boys & Girls Club (1205 6th Avenue South, St. Cloud).

Thanks to a Youth Skills Training Grant provided by the Minnesota Department of Economic and Employment Development (DEED) that focuses on training youth to be certified nursing assistants (CNA) and nursing assistants (NA), the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Minnesota was able to purchase 12 virtual reality headsets complete with 56 workforce development modules from TransfrVR.

“Using virtual reality, Boys & Girls Club will be able to provide world-class career exploration opportunities for youth and open doors to careers that they never might otherwise think possible,” said Mary Swingle, Boys & Girls Club’s President/CEO. “Using virtual reality in CareerSTART will empower our youth to get immersive experience in each of the career clusters – from manufacturing & construction, to automotive, to hospitality & tourism, to health sciences, and the list goes on.”

Geri Bechtold, Vice President of Operations, said that Club staff are providing VR programming based on youth needs and interest. “TransfrVR is rolling out new experiences in different disciplines on a regular basis,” said Bechtold. “So far, the youth have focused more on the automotive and skilled trades modules. They are learning important life skills, like how to change the oil in their car, thanks to VR.”

Virtual reality is a part of Boys & Girls Club’s CareerSTART program, which provides exploration, development and application of career paths for youth in grades K-12. These skills will empower them to develop core competencies, which will jumpstart their great future in the career of their choice.

For more information about virtual reality CareerSTART programming provided by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Minnesota, contact us at Club@bgcmn.org.

RSVP to attend the event here: https://www.bgcmn.org/virtual-reality-launch-event/

Add the event to your calendar!