CLEMSON — Clemson University is one of the featured participants in Google’s Expeditions Pioneer Program, a virtual reality project unveiled Thursday by First Lady Michelle Obama that will enable children in schools across the world to visit colleges and universities without ever stepping foot on the campuses.

Clemson is the first university in South Carolina invited to participate. Schools in the program represent a wide variety of institutions, from community colleges to internationally recognizable universities.

“This is a tremendous opportunity to showcase Clemson and reach prospective students nationwide,” said Clemson’s Chief Public Affairs Officer Cathy Sams. “It’s also a credit to our innovative Creative Services team that Clemson is being recognized by Google as a leader in online communication.”

The virtual reality experience can be accessed with a smartphone and Google Cardboard – a simple cardboard viewer that can be ordered or built with downloadable plans through the Google Cardboard website: https://www.google.com/get/cardboard.

Clemson’s Creative Services and Digital Marketing teams worked together to create text and imagery to feature in the virtual tour experience. Viewers of Clemson content in the program will be able to experience more than 30 points of interest on campus via panoramic photography, including the Watt Family Innovation Center, R.M. Cooper Library, the Outdoor Amphitheater, Bowman Field, Howard’s Rock and many others.

Google hopes to release the app to the public by the end of the 2015-2016 school year. Until then anyone can request access by going to https://goo.gl/fuQb6c.

One of the locations the Google virtual campus tour will take students is Clemson’s historic Bowman Field.
http://pickenssentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_cugoogletour.jpgOne of the locations the Google virtual campus tour will take students is Clemson’s historic Bowman Field. Courtesy photo

This story courtesy of Clemson University.