Subaru Partners with Google Expeditions to Educate Students

Subaru of America, Inc. has announced its partnership with Google in support of the Expeditions Pioneer Program, an initiative that will take Google’s educational virtual reality field trip kits on the road, with Subaru as the official vehicle provider of the program.

Visiting schools in six U.S. states and four countries abroad, Subaru and Google hope to reach and inspire students by bringing kits to thousands of schools globally.

Subaru has partnered with Google Expeditions to help bring this new educational experience to classrooms in the spirit of Subaru’s ongoing Love Promise initiative.

The Expeditions Pioneer Program, launching in September 2015, will canvas U.S. schools in California, Texas, Illinois, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut while also visiting schools in Australia, New Zealand, Brazil and the United Kingdom.

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As part of the Pioneer Program, teachers at participating schools will be trained on Expeditions and use the technology to take their classes on virtual field trips.

Subaru’s Love Promise is a commitment to support causes that are meaningful to Subaru and its customers, including Education, Environment, Pets and Community.

In the spirit of that promise, Subaru will lend its expertise to help create a number of new Expeditions on topics the brand and its drivers are passionate about including the zero-landfill manufacturing, responsibly exploring the country’s National Parks and generally encouraging an adventurous spirit.

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Launched in May 2015, Google Expeditions is an immersive experience that allows teachers to take their classes on virtual field trips, bringing abstract concepts to life and giving students a deeper understanding of the world beyond the classroom.

Teachers can bring students to museums, other continents or even outerspace, using Google Cardboard viewers and virtual reality content accessible through mobile phones.

The kit contains a tablet for the teacher, and Cardboard viewers and phones for every student. The teacher selects a destination through an app and then leads students through a virtual field trip, pointing out specific points of interest along the way.

While nothing replaces a traditional field trip, Expeditions provides an unparalleled opportunity for supplemental learning by bringing unique sights and experiences right into the classroom.

In addition to Subaru, Google is working with a number of partners including PBS, educational publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, British documentarian David Attenborough and his production company Alchemy VR, and the Wildlife Conservation Society to create custom education content using collections of virtual reality panoramas – 360 photo spheres, 3D images and video, ambient sounds – to truly immerse students in the experience.

Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Cherry Hill, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts, and accessories through a network of more than 620 retailers across the United States.