Columbia Falls receives $40,000 grant for virtual technology lab

Columbia Falls School District will be on the cutting edge of technology when it’s science, technology, engineering and math curriculum comes alive in virtual reality.

The district recently received a $40,000 grant through the Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund to purchase 3-D virtual reality technology for a new lab at Columbia Falls Junior High.

The lab will feature the virtual reality technology in 10 work stations purchased from a company called zSpace and is anticipated to be up and running by the end of January.

Through the use of virtual reality software, a special stylus and eyewear, up to 30 students at a time will be able to explore the layers of a volcano or a human heart in 3-D. The software covers a range of topics with more than 1,000 models, ranging from the anatomy of a carbon atom, to how speed relates energy to momentum or how an acoustic guitar is built.

“Setting up traditional labs for science and other classrooms is extremely time consuming and sometimes impossible,” Columbia Falls Junior High Principal Dave Wick said. “Traditional labs require a lot of research, and can be costly when ordering materials. You can walk into zSpace and have the lab saved and ready to go for the students.”

“Weyerhaeuser has really stepped up to become an incredible supporter of education,” Columbia Falls School District Superintendent Steve Bradshaw said.