Imagine being an inquisitive 5th grader in landlocked interior BC who’s fascinated by the ocean and marine life, but has never been able to experience it.
Local Victorian entrepreneurs Mike Irvine and Maeva Gauthier have made it their mission to share the wonders of Vancouver Island and the BC coast with children all over the province through live-streamed shows.
A virtual reality program will soon support the live shows.
Last night, they launched the idea behind their new company, Live It, which will help kids in grades 5-9 connect with experts in the field in real-time.
Students using the technology can even talk to deep-sea divers while they’re underwater, and get answers to all their questions – a feature that was first introduced by Irvine and Gauthier through the Fish Eye Project.
The plan
According to the estimations, the cost of each show would be $2 per student, which costs $3 less per student than the average field trip.
The idea is to launch three live productions in as many schools in BC as possible over a 3-month period starting in Fall 2018. This would involve 9 live programs for each classroom showcasing orcas, salmon, and bears, as the team moves up the coast.
Each program will have accompanying pre and post curriculum packages for teachers.
At this point, Irvine and Gauthier are in the process of fundraising through school boards, parent boards, and ministries of education, in order to cover the costs of implementation so that teachers are not asked to pay for the shows.
All the way up
The ambitious entrepreneurs are already looking to take their technology further, with plans to reach schools across Canada by 2019.
Sky is not the limit for them, because by 2020, they’re planning to make bring outer space into classrooms.
Visit their website for more information.
