Pearl Technology recently helped sponsor the 2024 STEM Academy at Goodwill Commons in Peoria. The program was open to youth 14- to 16-year-olds and was a great success!

During the weeklong event (July 15–19), students dived into the world of cutting-edge technology by exploring virtual and augmented reality.

As part of this year’s STEM Academy, students learned to program Meta Quest 3 headsets and studied XR (extended reality), an umbrella term that covers augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality.

They also took a field trip to Bradley University, where they toured their Interactive Media Department, and they visited the Caterpillar Tech Center, where they learned how Caterpillar uses XR. Bradley professors provided most of the teaching this year.

Thanks to all who participated and helped sponsor this year’s STEM Academy (Richwoods Township, University of Illinois Extension, Caterpillar, and Bradley University).