High-tech classroom tools including virtual reality have taken more than 180 middle school students inside the “climate classroom” of global climate change.

M2 pupils from around the island were immersed in topics from ocean temperature, hurricane intensity and coastal vulnerability to the potential for careers in the field.

Backed by lead sponsor HSBC, the partnership programme between the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences and the New York-based Overview Collective launched on April 18 — equipping students to make a positive impact on the environment and contribute to a sustainable future.

They also explored the Bios campus at Ferry Reach in St George’s, learning about climate change’s effects on marine ecosystems and Bermuda’s economy through the research station’s Ocean Academy.

Overview Collective’s chief executive, Kristin Gutekunst, joined the Ocean Academy education team with Tarik Mohamed, chief creative officer, to help deliver an immersive student experience.

Much of the workshop was student-led, Bios said.

Virtual reality allowed students to train like marine biologists, including tagging manta rays, while photogrammetry, in which three-dimensional detail is extracted from pictures, allowed them to scan and create images of corals.

Kenzo Riley, an M2 at Dellwood Middle School, said it was important as Bermudians to learn about the ocean and topics such as coral bleaching and rising sea temperatures.

“If I had to tell a friend about this field trip, I’d say it was so fun and educational that I don’t want to leave Bios now. We learnt a lot in such a short amount of time today.”

Mr Mohamed said that many youngsters got their first experience with photogrammetry and augmented reality through the workshop.

He added: “We loved watching them laugh when they made mistakes, and their eyes light up when they successfully created their mini worlds.”

Akinyi Apopa, an M2 teacher at Sandys Secondary Middle School, said: “What excited me the most was that students had the opportunity to explore the intersection between their recreational gaming and the issues surrounding climate change.”

Alex Merkle-Raymond, Bios’s education co-ordinator, said: "The students worked together to find the answer to scientific questions and discover new information — often without even realising they are learning something new.“

Sergio Pitcher and Kim Mensah, of Planet Math, pitched in with their maths tutoring expertise.

“The team was worked really hard to design a fun and engaging quest,” Mr Pitcher said.

“I thought it was great to see that in action, to see the kids engage and work together to solve the clues at each station.”