This summer, the Verizon Innovative Learning Initiative, housed in the James R. Watson and Judy Rodriguez Watson College of Education, and the Extended Reality for Learning (xREAL) Lab at Cal State San Bernardino continued their collaboration with the Verizon Innovative Learning Summer Camp. The program brought San Bernardino middle school students to the lab to learn about currently active research and development (R & D) projects.

Throughout the camp students, ages 11-14, were given multiple engaging opportunities, including the opportunity to tour the xREAL Lab for a short time. Mihaela Popescu, faculty director of the xREAL Lab, expressed excitement to be hosting the visiting students.

“The xREAL Lab serves future Coyotes by giving them early access to transformative technologies like immersive media, robotics and AI,” Popescu said. “We’re proud to provide a space where prospective students can explore, experiment and envision their own role in shaping the future."

During their time in the lab, students were given a first look at the interior of the upcoming performing arts building through virtual reality, as well as a robotics demonstration featuring the robotic dogs housed in the lab. Through the hands-on experiences provided by the lab, Eun-Ok Baek, CSUSB’s Instructional Design and Technology Program coordinator, hopes to ignite students’ interest in STEM and the growing opportunities attached to extended reality.

“Exposure to university-level R & D projects and innovation at a young age can be transformative,” Baek said. “Viewing projects at the xREAL Lab allows students to visualize themselves in similar roles in the future, especially those from communities where such opportunities may be limited. It reinforces the idea that they, too, can be creators and leaders in technological innovation.”

This collaboration has continued to introduce young students to new and exciting technology, giving them the opportunity to interact with boundary-pushing tools that inspire them to push boundaries in their own future endeavors.

“This partnership between the Verizon Innovative Learning Initiative and CSUSB’s xREAL Lab reflects a shared commitment to educational equity, innovation and community engagement,” Baek said. “It’s not just about campus visits — it’s about building a pipeline of future technologists who are inspired, informed and empowered.”