Global success for SchooVR unique learning experiences
Mark Baldwin and Vinny Byrne in the school at the National Children's Hospital in Tallaght

Global success for SchooVR unique learning experiences

A SOFTWARE solutions company that provides students with the tools to build and launch their own unique and immersive learning experiences has found global success.

Formally a primary school teacher in Blanchardstown, Mark Baldwin got the idea for SchooVR three years ago and committed himself full-time to the new business.

Based in the Synergy Centre in Tallaght, SchooVR provide teachers and students with tools that allow them to build immersive and interactive experiences in any browser.

The platform allows students to build immersive learning experiences such as Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, the Himalayas, waterfalls, volcanoes and many others.

“On our platform, teachers and students can log on and create an account and there is two parts to the platform – there is a library of curated content for primary and secondary school students and then we also provide tools that allow teachers and students to build their own content,” said Mark.

“It allows them to experience things that they would not have got the opportunity to experience.”

When he was launching the business back in 2019, Mark sought help from the Local Enterprise Office (LEO) South Dublin for guidance, who he said have been instrumental in getting the business started.

“Because we are based in Synergy, we were able to take advantage of the Enterprise Ireland New Frontiers Phase 2 programme and that allowed us to figure out our business plan structure-wise,” he said.

“We then applied for and was granted the priming grant, which allowed us to cover a few salaries in the company and develop the platform at an early stage.

“We also got mentorship which helped us on a range of things from tax compliance to accounting to distribution and marketing.”

One of the special features that SchooVR provides is virtual reality experiences, which was launched last month after Mark and his team worked on it for over two years.

One of the schools using the new virtual reality experiences is the school at the National Children’s Hospital in Tallaght University Hospital, which supports patients between the ages of 4-17 in an engaging and inclusive environment.

“We provide virtual reality kits to schools all across Ireland, the US and Canada and the software as well,” Mark explained.

“The acting principal at the school in Tallaght University Hospital, Vinny Byrne, came across our software solutions a couple of weeks ago and felt that it would provide the students there with immersive content that they can use on iPads, Chromebooks, tablets and virtual reality goggles in the hospital.

“When the kids are bed-bound they can now experience these amazing places such as the Himalayas or Ancient Egypt.

“It is a 360 image and they can move around, look at things, do quizzes and have these experiences and it is completely curriculum aligned with the Irish curriculum.”

SchooVR is currently used by students and teachers in Ireland, Canada and the US and is will soon be available in schools in Northern Ireland and the UK.

In addition to the Tallaght office, SchooVR also has an office in Greece where the development team works.

Mark says that as the business continues to grow and develop on a global scale, there are aims to create ten more jobs in the next six months in business development and customer support.

For more information about SchooVR, you can go to their website at https://www.schoovr.com/

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