Page 11 - JobReady: November 2017 Issue

Virtual Reality Competition Sends Arkansas Students to Facebook Headquarters

group of Arkansas students
represented the state at
A Facebook’s headquarters in
Menlo Park, California, serving as
the inaugural TechStart New Frontier
Award winners. TechStart is a
Facebook education initiative in high
schools that encourages students to
explore computer science through
modern technologies.
Each of the students completed
a technology project in which they
had to create their virtual reality
world with the use of computer
graphics and other design codes.
“It’s a completely different world
inside of our world,” said Garrett
McWhorter, a student at Bearden
High School, who traveled to
Facebook’s headquarters.
McWhorter, his classmate
Dalton Tyler Earnest, and his
teacher Jana McWhorter also went
to California. Dalton Tyler Earnest, student; Garrett McWhorter, student; and Jana McWhorter, their
“I’ve always wanted to go into teacher, at the Facebook headquarters.
the technology field and going to
Facebook really opened me up,”
Earnest said. world won them a trip.
This initiative is part of Governor “This lets you know that anything
Asa Hutchinson’s push to include is possible,” said Garrett McWhorter.
computer coding in Arkansas “It doesn’t matter where you’re from
classrooms and to promote careers or who you are. No matter what you
in computer science. Earlier this do, it’s seen by someone – even the
year, Hutchinson announced a smallest thing.”
partnership with Facebook to launch Having an interest in this kind of
TechStart in Arkansas high schools. technology, Earnest said he did not
Virtual reality classroom kits were leave the Facebook campus without
dispersed to some high schools establishing a connection for future
across the state. The goal is to opportunities.
have one in every high school. “I asked them for an internship. Students Dalton Tyler Earnest (front) and
McWhorter and Earnest worked They said that is possible because I Garrett McWhorter (back) work together on
their project, creating a virtual reality world
on the project in their Digital am a senior. More than likely, if I do with the use of computer graphics and
Communications class at Bearden get the internship, I will be helping other design codes.
High School. They had a short them with the TechStart program,”
timeline to create a virtual world. Earnest said.
Their world consisted of an island, a McWhorter said he is still in awe
giant palm tree, and penguins. of Facebook and it’s an experience
They are still in shock that their he won’t soon forget.

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