Educational Locations in Second Life And the 3D Aids Quilt

Often I am asked for a list of interesting and educational locations within Second Life, the 3D virtual world software, here is a rather lengthy list of some of the more educational places within Second Life.

Of especially keen interest is the Aids Quilt:

The 3D AIDS Quilt, debut was in two virtual worlds and across the web on Worlds AIDS Day, (December 1, 2010) – is attracted and continues to attract a wide range of high profile contributors. “Interest has been high on a number of fronts,” says Jena Ball, the creator of the Quilt and Co-founder of Startled Cat, the organization behind the project.  “We have everyone from individuals to large institutions asking to participate.  We’re proud to have organizations like RTI International (RTI), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Center for AIDS Research (CFAR), and the Triangle Global Health Consortium involved.”

The 3D AIDS Quilt takes the concept of a patchwork quilt – composed of squares of fabric – and transforms it into a collection of 3D rooms or dioramas.  Each room is dedicated to a person(s) whose life was lost to AIDS and tells a story using a variety of tools including 3D objects, video, photos, poetry and song.  The Quilt was conceived as a way to commemorate the lives of those lost to AIDS and build a global community of individuals and organizations committed to using their collective creativity and resources to eradicate AIDS.

The 3D AIDS Quilt allows participants to celebrate the lives of those who have been lost to AIDS through immersive, interactive 3D dioramas.

“One of the marvelous things about the Quilt is that it reaches out in an entirely new way to educate and empower people around the globe,” says Nicole Fouche, Executive Director of the Triangle Global Health Consortium. “Information about HIV/AIDS is one of the best ways to protect people and communities from this terrible disease.”

For more information about the Quilt go to:www.3DAIDSQuilt.com.

About the Karuna Initiative and the 3D Quilt

The 3D AIDS Quilt is part of Startled Cat’s Karuna Initiative begun in 2008 in Second Life (SL). In addition to the island of Karuna, originally funded by a generous grant from the National Library of Medicine, the Initiative has built the Uncle D Story Quest, the AIDS Poetry Garden and the Ryan White Story Tree.  The 3D AIDS Quilt was born of the realization that the key to eradicating HIV/AIDS lies in three basic principles – education, empathy, and empowerment.

About Startled Cat
Startled Cat is a joint venture formed between Doug Thompson (CEO of Remedy Communications), Marty Keltz (former President of Scholastic Productions and producer of such hit children’s shows as the “Magic School Bus” and “Charles in Charge”) and veteran writer and storyteller, Jena Ball. Startled Cat is a studio for immersive storytelling, which finds new and engaging ways to tell stories across a wide range of platforms and media. The Uncle D Quest is just one example of how the firm has used 3D immersive media to tell stories that encourage integrative thinking, collaboration, innovation, and co-creation. To learn more about Startled Cat visit, www.startledcat.com

About Jokaydia
The Jokaydia Project was launched in September 2007 and aims to provide a space to explore the uses of virtual worlds in education, the arts and social change. It is a community of practice, and has homes in various virtual worlds including its very ownJokaydiaGrid, along with presence in Second Life, Jibe and Reaction Grid. It is also exploring BlueMars, World of Warcraft, Aion and a number of other virtual worlds and gaming platforms.