As part of my efforts to introduce both intellectually transformative and socially accountable content into the Weitzman School of Design's curriculum for my Justice and Belonging (JXB) Initiative, I partnered with Dr. Amanda Licastro (then Penn Libraries, currently Swarthmore) to introduce virtual reality applications centered on building empathy. This session for the Department of Historic Preservation was the first time it had been done for an orientation in any department and it occurred during their Summer Institute.

Introduction slide from the 2023 Immersive Dialogues on Design Justice, featuring Dr. Matt Kenyatta, Lecturer at Weitzman School of Design, and Dr. Amanda Licastro, Emerging and Digital Literacy Instructional Designer, discussing the intersection of design and digital literacy in justice-centered preservation practices.

Students engaging in a virtual reality experience as part of the 2023 Immersive Dialogues on Design Justice at the Historic Preservation Summer Institute, exploring new ways to understand and preserve urban spaces through immersive technology.

Participants using VR headsets to explore historic preservation and urban design concepts during the 2023 Immersive Dialogues on Design Justice, part of the Historic Preservation Summer Institute.