Discover how BreakFree Education is using ClassVR within juvenile justice facilities to provide students with immersive learning experiences in restricted environments
On any given day, thousands of young people are held in juvenile justice centers across the United States while awaiting court proceedings or completing court-ordered dispositions. During this time, their education is disrupted.
BreakFree Education, a non-profit organization founded in 2012, believes every young person deserves meaningful learning opportunities regardless of circumstances. The organization partners with juvenile justice agencies and schools in 45 states to improve educational access for justice-involved youth and has supported more than 50,000 students to date.
“Our goal is to improve the education happening in juvenile justice spaces because we believe in the potential and dignity of all students,” said Dr. Kaylah Holland, BreakFree Education’s Director of National Practice and Innovation. “Every student deserves access to the highest quality education possible.”
Opening Doors to Learning
The idea of introducing ClassVR into juvenile justice facilities began with a simple challenge: how can students take part in science experiments when traditional equipment is prohibited?
In many facilities, items such as chemicals, glassware, and even scissors are often restricted for safety reasons, making hands-on learning difficult. To overcome this barrier, BreakFree Education turned to virtual reality as a safe engaging alternative that could bring immersive experiences into secure classrooms.
After exploring several options, the team discovered ClassVR at an education conference.
“Introducing new technology in this environment is incredibly challenging,” Holland explained. “We needed a solution that could restrict internet access, remain fully under teacher control, and still provide meaningful learning experiences”
Purpose-built for education, ClassVR stood out because it met the strict security requirements of juvenile facilities while still delivering immersive, curriculum-aligned content. Following a rigorous vetting process, BreakFree Education began introducing ClassVR into its partnerships with schools.
Bringing the World Within Reach
Using ClassVR and Eduverse360, students can explore places and experiences they would otherwise never have access to, from historical landmarks to outer space.
BreakFree Education has now helped implement ClassVR in 15 juvenile facilities to support instruction across science, English Language Arts, and social studies.
Teachers are using immersive experiences to make learning more engaging, memorable and accessible. Examples include:
- An art teacher focusing on still life paintings used ClassVR to have students explore immersive scenes from Macbeth, The Raven, A Christmas Carol, and Pride and Prejudice and find tablescapes and other scenes to draw on paper.
- A social studies teacher focusing on Civil Rights used ClassVR to let students virtually sit on the bus with Rosa Parks, walk across the Selma bridge, and see other notable historical moments.
- Students celebrated Earth Day with ClassVR’s Wild Weather Zone and People and Planet content.
- A science teacher led students in studying the human body by exploring ClassVR’s How the Ear Works, Inside a Vein, and Our Five Senses content.
- Students studied animal habitats with ClassVR’s Polar Ecosystem, Polar Habitat, and Fish and Coral content.
Students have also explored topics including sound waves, food security, and astronomy while virtually visiting destinations such as Dubai, New York and the Milky Way.
According to Holland some of the students’ favorite experiences included swimming with sharks and visiting the Sensory Emotion Room.
But the impact goes beyond academics.
We were using ClassVR when a visitor entered the classroom and a student said ‘Tell them to come back, this is the most fun I’ve had in a long time.’ Holland recalled. “Those are the experiences I try to create. Students are learning, they’re having fun, and for a brief moment, they aren’t thinking about being in a locked facility.
Supporting Differentiated Instruction
Students in juvenile justice facilities often have significant gaps in their education, with a wide range of academic abilities represented in a single classroom.
ClassVR helps teachers meet these needs by providing flexible student-centered learning experiences. Lessons can be guided collaboratively as a whole class or adapted for individual exploration at a student’s own pace.
Using ClassView, teachers maintain full control over the learning environment and can monitor exactly what students are viewing through their headset, allowing them to provide targeted support whenever needed.
A Larger Purpose
For Holland, the work goes far beyond technology integration or curriculum access.
“This work can be challenging, but it’s deeply rewarding when students feel valued, seen, and heard,” she said. “By giving students access to the same technology their public school peers use, we help create a learning environment rooted in dignity, respect, and humanity.
Through immersive learning experiences, BreakFree Education is helping students reconnect with curiosity, possibility and their own potential.
Interested in introducing virtual reality to your school?
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