Students 'Go Red for STEM' to learn about building construction

On Tuesday, Jan. 29, a small group of Dallas ISD students got to tour a new hospital building – virtually.

Students from Young Women’s STEAM Academy at Balch Springs, D.A. Hulcy STEAM Middle School and Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy were actually at the north Dallas building where the McCarthy Building Companies’ Dallas offices are housed. Through virtual reality headsets, the students were inserted into the three-dimensional digital renderings and able to “walk” into rooms and down hallways.

The virtual-reality experience is immersive, but students could also experience “augmented reality,” which is a digital experience that adds elements to the real-world environment that can be seen and interacted with. After the virtual experience, students toured the McCarthy offices and met with employees covering the gamut of functions there.

STEM Goes Red, an initiative of the American Heart Association (AHA), coordinated the visit to McCarthy – an AHA supporter. The program is designed to encourage more girls to pursue STEM careers that promote heart and brain health through mentorships and exposure to careers.