The Meet The Lindens Events

 

 Last week from Monday June 22 to Friday June 26, the Meet the Lindens events took place. All took place at the Orpheum Theater, where four sims met, three for the audience which was over a hundred for each discussion. In the past, Patch Linden would usually have an important announcement, such as a new upcoming type of Linden Home, or in the case of last year plans for commercial areas in Belliseria, which would appear some months ago. 

 

That wouldn't be the case this year. Patch Linden was gone of course, dismissed from Linden Lab a couple months ago. Interestingly enough, Philip Linden would thank him for helping make the SLB events what they are today. But there were no important announcements of changes that would stick around, no new Linden Home, no new options for paid accounts, or the like. There was the announcement about the Golden Ticket contest, but that only affects a few lucky winners plus one very lucky winner.

 

Instead the Lindens, and Moles in the last event, would answer questions from the audience. For some reason, Linden Lab would have no live broadcasting. Instead there were videos available later on Youtube. Vic Morington did make live Youtube footage available for those who wanted to see, thought. 

 

Videos of each of the events will be made available later, as well as some other activities of the SLB.

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

VWPBE Conference Ends (Officially)

 

 After three days of discussions, the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education conference, the VWBPE officially ended on Saturday evening. The closing ceremony was at 5PM and an evening dance from 6 to 8 PM. But there were a few events on the program afterwards, including March 27 and 31. There's also one on April Fools Day. 

 

While the Newser could not be at all of the Discussions, it was at some, such as "Catching Up With The Lindens." We'll report more when time permits.

 

For those who want to visit the grounds, including some activity areas, https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Grasslands%20Gateway/128/123/23 .

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

VWBPE Conference Starts Today

 

 Today is the first official day of the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education conference for 2026. A few events actually started earlier, but the keynote is today at 12 Noon SL time, given by Philpi Rosedale / Philip Linden. 

 

 From today to Saturday March 21 will be a number of discussions. There are also some exhibits and a few activities. 

 

 For more information on the conference, go to https://www.vwbpe.org/  .

 

SURL to entrance:  https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Grasslands%20Gateway/128/123/23

Schedule: https://www.vwbpe.org/conference/vwbpe26-program 

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

Press Release: VWBPE 2026 Conference INSIGHTS 19-21 March 2026 in Second Life®

 

 

The 19th annual Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education Conference, beginning on Thursday, March 19th, 2026, will be an online distributed conference happening in multiple virtual spaces. This conference focuses on the use of immersive virtual environments for educational purposes, including virtual and augmented reality. 

This year we are returning to our Earth build. Each region represents a different terrestrial biome, including wetlands, desert, badlands, grasslands, and forests. Conference attendees will be able to explore 3D immersive virtual representations of these biomes.

The conference regions will be open to the public on Sunday, March 15th at 9:00 am SLT (Second Life Time / Pacific Daylight Time).

**VWBPE 2026 GATEWAY** 
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Grasslands%20Gateway/128/123/23 

To the best ability possible, VWBPE provides educational and networking opportunities that are relevant to educational curriculum development utilizing virtual environments and “best practices”. These include

helping to build community through extension of learning best practices to practical application of those ideas and techniques;
providing networking opportunities for educators and the communities that help support education; and
providing access to current innovations, trends, ideas, case studies, and other best practices for educators and the communities that help support education

One of the key challenges faced by the educational community is how to make the best use of new immersive technologies in a way that is sustainable and accessible based on limited budgets available to both instructors and students. Platforms that are free or open source, or that can be shared across a broad audience, are showcased, including methods and research around best practices in their use and applicability.

Our theme for this year is Insights.

The 2026 theme, “Insights”, invites us to look deeper—beyond the tools and platforms—toward the lessons, challenges, and opportunities that are redefining education in an age of rapid technological transformation. For more about the theme, see the blog post here: https://www.vwbpe.org/vwbpe-news/welcome-to-vwbpe-2026-insights.

Join us as we all share experiences and successes in how virtual technologies used in the classroom have helped shape education for the better.

This year's keynote speakers are Philip Rosedale, Ryan Schultz, and Mark Childs. Invited speakers include representatives from Linden Lab, and many of the Thinkerer Award winners. 

The VWBPE conference keynote speakers and their respective presentations are featured on the conference website (http://vwbpe.org), along with a program of exciting presentations, social activities, and networking events that will set extraordinary discussions in motion.  

The VWBPE Immersive Experiences showcase unique and interesting work being conducted across the metaverse. We invite you to join us as we explore eleven interactive and engaging locations across five virtual environments. The Immersive Experiences are scheduled from March 14th through April 1st (exclusive of the conference dates). Details and access instructions for the experiences are found at https://www.vwbpe.org/conference/vwbpe26-program.   

Additionally, this open and free conference would not be possible without the generous contributions of our VWBPE sponsors. https://www.vwbpe.org/vwbpe-2026-sponsors.   

The Rockcliffe Registration Portal is open for people to register new Second Life® avatars and find out more about the VWBPE conference in-world. Go to https://www.enroll.onl/secondlife.php . The instructions are there to get you and your friends started at this educator-friendly newcomers’ region in Second Life®.

The full conference program is online here: https://www.vwbpe.org/conference/vwbpe26-program. 

You can also view presentations live on YouTube at http://vwbpe.org/watch. 

All of the conference events will be in Second Life® this year, and the locations are included in the listings. When you click on a conference event and click Add to Calendar, you can add the event to your own calendar (Google and more).

NOTE: Daylight Savings Time
In most of the United States and Canada (and in Second Life), Daylight Savings Time is in effect as of 8 March 2026. In Europe, Great Britain, and many other locations, DST is in effect as of 29 March, 2026, after the conference begins. Check this page to find out when (and if) a time change is in effect for you: https://www.timeanddate.com/time/dst/2026.html.


**VWBPE 2026 GATEWAY**
SLurl: 
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Grasslands%20Gateway/128/123/23 

**VWBPE 2026 SOCIAL VISITOR CENTER** http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Wetlands%20Marsh/175/158/21 


**KEYNOTES**
https://www.vwbpe.org/conference/vwbpe-2026-keynotes  

KEYNOTE:
Philip Rosedale / SL: Philip Linden
CTO, Linden Lab
Thursday 19 March 2026
12:00 pm noon SLT @ VWBPE Auditorium

KEYNOTE: 
Ryan Schultz
Science & Agriculture Librarian, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg
Friday 20 March 2026
9:00 am SLT @ VWBPE Auditorium

KEYNOTE:
Mark Childs / SL: Gann McGann
Senior Learning Designer, University of Durham (Durham UK)
Saturday 21 March 2026
9:00 am SLT @ VWBPE Auditorium


**INVITED SPEAKERS**

ABOVE THE BOOK: Catching Up with the Lindens
Host: Kevin Feenan / Phelan Corrimal
Linden Lab Guests: TBA
Friday 20 March 2026
1:00pm SLT @ VWBPE Auditorium

ABOVE THE BOOK: Catching up with the Thinkerers
Lynne Berrett / Lissena (Wisdomseeker)
VWBPE 2021 Thinkerer
Saturday 21 March 2026
3:00 pm SLT @ VWBPE Auditorium


**WEB PAGES**

Conference Information: http://vwbpe.org 
Program: https://www.vwbpe.org/conference/vwbpe26-program   
Registration: http://vwb.pe/register  
Sponsors: https://www.vwbpe.org/vwbpe-2026-sponsors 
Rockcliffe Gateway to Second Life®: https://www.enroll.onl/secondlife.php 
Watch VWBPE Livestream: https://www.vwbpe.org/watch 

**MAJOR SPONSORS**

Linden Lab
https://www.lindenlab.com/

Rockcliffe University Consortium
https://urockcliffe.com/ 

Knomaze Corporation
https://knomaze.com/ 

Virtual Ability
https://virtualability.org/ 

Agile Dimensions
https://www.agiledimensions.com/blog/ 

Whole Brain Health
https://www.agelessmindproject.org/  


**CONTACT**
Bevan Whitfield
VWBPE Communications Chair
marketing@vwbpe.com 

VWBPE Conference Starts Today

 

 

 Today officially marks the start of the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education conference. This three day event will have numerous discussions and lectures on the event sims. 

The kickoff takes place at 8AM SL time at:

 http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Grasslands%20Gateway/128/123/23

 

At 12 Noon SL time is "What's Up With The Lab," with Lindens (and maybe Moles) joining the host to discuss what Linden Lab has been doing lately. Almost certainly, the mobile viewer will be discussed, as well as PBR Materials,

 

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Rainbow%20Basin/232/247/21

 

Backup locations

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Canopy%20Point/27/243/21

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Floating%20Meadows/237/28/22

 

Press Release: VWBPW Conference 2024 - Mythic Orgins

 

 The 17th annual Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education Conference, beginning on Thursday, March 14th, 2024, will be an online distributed conference happening in multiple virtual spaces. This conference focuses on the use of immersive virtual environments for educational purposes including virtual and augmented reality.

This year we are returning to our Earth build. Each region represents a different terrestrial biome, including wetlands, desert, badlands, grasslands, and forests. Conference attendees will be among the first to be able to explore!

To the best ability possible, VWBPE provides educational and networking opportunities that are relevant to educational curriculum development utilizing virtual environments and “best practices”. These include

helping to build community through extension of learning best practices to practical application of those ideas and techniques;
providing networking opportunities for educators and the communities that help support education; and
providing access to current innovations, trends, ideas, case studies, and other best practices for educators and the communities that help support education

One of the key challenges faced by the educational community is how to make the best use of new immersive technologies in a way that is sustainable and accessible based on limited budgets available to both instructors and students. Platforms that are free or open source, or that can be shared across a broad audience are showcased, including methods and research around best practices in their use and applicability.

Our theme for this year is Mythic Origins.

Mythic stories can provide a way to engage students in critical thinking and analysis, as well as developing their creativity and imagination. Mythic origins can provide students with a deeper understanding of their own cultural heritage and how it has evolved over time. It allows us to explore the origins of our socially constructed myths and legends that have inspired educators and their various works.

Join us as we all share experiences and successes in how virtual technologies used in the classroom have helped shape education for the better.

This year's keynote speakers are Wagner James Au and Dr. Nellie Deutsch. Invited speakers include representatives from Linden Lab, and the 2020 Thinkerer - Renne Emiko Brock.

The VWBPE conference keynote speakers and their respective presentations are featured on the conference website (http://vwbpe.org), along with a program of exciting presentations, social activities, and networking events that will set extraordinary discussions in motion.  

The VWBPE Immersive Experiences showcase unique and interesting work being conducted across the metaverse. We invite you to join us as we explore eleven interactive and engaging locations across five virtual environments. The Immersive Experiences are scheduled from March 9th through 31st (exclusive of the conference dates). Details and access instructions for the experiences are found at https://www.vwbpe.org/conference/vwbpe24-program.   

Additionally, this open and free conference would not be possible without the generous contributions of our VWBPE sponsors. https://www.vwbpe.org/vwbpe-2024-sponsors  

The Rockcliffe Registration Portal is open for people to register new Second Life® avatars and find out more about the VWBPE conference in-world. Go to https://www.enroll.onl/secondlife.php . The instructions are there to get you and your friends started at this educator-friendly newcomers’ region in Second Life®.

The full conference program is online here: https://www.vwbpe.org/conference/vwbpe24-program.

You can also view presentations live on YouTube at http://vwbpe.org/watch.

All of the conference events will be in Second Life® this year, and the locations are included in the listings. When you click on a conference event and click Add to Calendar, you can add the event to your own calendar (Google and more).

NOTE: Daylight Savings Time
In most of the United States and Canada, Daylight Savings Time is in effect as of 10 March 2024. In Europe, Great Britain, and many other locations, DST is in effect as of 31 March, 2024, after the conference ends. Check this page to find out when (and if) a time change is in effect for you: https://www.timeanddate.com/time/dst/2024.html.

=================================================
**VWBPE 2024 GATEWAY**
SLurl:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Grasslands%20Gateway/128/123/23

**VWBPE 2024 SOCIAL VISITOR CENTER** http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Wetlands%20Marsh/175/158/21

 

 

 

VWPBE Conference Starts Thursday, March 14

 

 

One of Second Life's big yearly events, the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education conference, will soon be starting. Describing itself as discussing "the use of immersive virtual environments for educational purposes including virtual and augmented reality," the event will feature numerous discussions on a variety of topics. This will include talks with the Lindens about what's going on with Linden Lab, and more.

The kickoff event is on Thursday March 14 at 8AM SL time, at VWBPE Grasslands Gateway (128/123/23). Shortly afterwards at Noon SL time is "What's Up At The Lab?"

 

Officially, the conference concludes Saturday night at 6PM. But there were still be some events at the VWPBE for several days afterwards,and beyond. 

For a look at the schedule, Click Here. Already there are a few pre-conference events taking place. 

 

Sci-Fi Con

 

 

 The Sci-fi Con is back in Second Life. This salute to all things science-fiction, a Relay for Life fundraising event, started on Friday March 31, and will be going on until Tuesday April 11. There's music events, discussions, movie showings, booths of various science-fiction groups in Second Life, displays, shopping, and more.

Read more about the event here, or just head on over:

 

 http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Zion%20Lost%20City/136/127/60

 

The VWBPE Grounds

 

After weeks of preparation, the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education conference is set to start tomorrow. From Thursday to Saturday, there will be numerous discussions and other events, including one with the Lindens. The theme this year is "Uncommon Realities." Gemma Cleanslate, who volunteered to help out again this year, took a good look at the the area the event will be taking place on. And there's quite a lot.

 

Read Gemma's story in Design. 

 

 

Press Release: VWBPE 2023 Conference UNCOMMON REALITIES 23 - 25 March 2023 in Second Life®

 

 

 The 16th annual Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education Conference, beginning on Thursday, March 23rd, will be an online distributed conference happening in multiple virtual spaces. This conference focuses on the use of immersive virtual environments for educational purposes including virtual and augmented reality.

This year we are returning from outer space to Earth and completely rebuilding the conference regions. Each region represents a different terrestrial biome, including wetlands, desert, badlands, grasslands, and forests. Conference attendees will be among the first to be able to explore!

VWBPE provides educational and networking opportunities that are relevant to educational curriculum development utilizing virtual environments and “best practices”. These include
- helping to build community through extension of learning best practices to practical application of those ideas and techniques;
- providing networking opportunities for educators and the communities that help support education; and
- providing access to current innovations, trends, ideas, case studies, and other best practices for educators and the communities that help support education.

Primarily, the issue being faced by the educational community is how to make the best use of new immersive technologies in a way that is sustainable and accessible based on limited budgets available to both instructors and students. Platforms that are free or open source, or that can be shared across a broad audience are showcased including methods and research around best practices in their use and applicability.

VWBPE will again be using Linden Lab’s Second Life® environment as our primary conference venue for presentations, exhibits, roundtables, and discussions. Participants are free to submit proposals and immersive experience tours on any environment for education using technologies for virtual or augmented reality. We actively encourage showcasing multiple technology platforms. This includes practical application, researched papers, conceptual, and content creation supporting those technologies.

Our theme for this year is Uncommon Realities and the exploration of areas outside of our expertise that may be potentially opposed to our current outlook or world view. As educators, we are having to adjust to more than just a transition from in-person to online methodologies. We are facing urgent challenges in the areas of remote classroom management, outdated policies or policies not designed to be applied to online environments, child psychology and welfare in online environments, health and safety considerations, and personal privacy, among others. This means embracing the ability to quickly adapt to changing circumstances and innovative technologies to their best effect.

This year's keynote speakers are Dr. Tom Boellstorff, Dr. Stylianos Mystakidis, and Alexandra Humphreys. Invited speakers include the 2018 Thinkerer - Dr. Valerie Hill, and representatives from Linden Lab. A special event “Books and Biomes” will feature Draxtor Despres and author Cat Sparks.

The VWBPE conference keynote speakers and their respective presentations are featured on the conference website (http://vwbpe.org), along with a program of exciting presentations, social activities, and networking events that will set extraordinary discussions in motion.  

The VWBPE Immersive Experiences showcase unique and interesting work being conducted across the metaverse. We invite you to join us as we explore eleven interactive and engaging locations across five virtual environments. The Immersive Experiences are scheduled from 22 March to 15 April (exclusive of the conference dates). Details and access instructions for the experiences are found at https://www.vwbpe.org/conference/vwbpe23-program. 

The Rockcliffe Registration Portal is open for people to register new Second Life® avatars and find out more about the VWBPE conference in-world. Go to  https://www.enroll.onl/secondlife.php. The instructions are there to get you and your friends started at this educator-friendly newcomers’ region in Second Life®.

The full conference program is online here:  https://www.vwbpe.org/conference/vwbpe23-program. You can also view presentations live on YouTube at http://vwbpe.org/watch. All of the conference events will be in Second Life® this year, and the locations are included in the listings. When you click on a conference event and click Add to Calendar, you can add the event to your own calendar (Google and more).

 

**VWBPE 2023 GATEWAY**
SLurl:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Grasslands%20Gateway/128/123/23

**VWBPE 2023 SOCIAL VISITOR CENTER** http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Wetlands%20Marsh/175/158/21

 

For more information: https://www.vwbpe.org/ 

VWBPE 2022 Call for Sponsors

 

Every spring, the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education conference takes place in Second Life. Earlier this week, the organizers posted a request for sponsors for the 2022 conference, which will be the 15th. The theme this year is "Phoenix Rising," and it takes place from Thursday March 31 to Saturday March 2.

We are asking for your support by sponsoring the 15th Annual Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education Conference (VWBPE), Phoenix Rising, happening this March 31 to April 2, 2022.

This completely online conference provides educational and networking opportunities that are relevant to educational curriculum development utilizing virtual environments and “best practices”. Your participation in this conference not only helps the thousands of instructors coming together to champion immersive education during our conference, it also reaches out to thousands more throughout the year.

Your participation will help to:

    build community through extension of learning best practices to practical application of those ideas and techniques;
    provide networking opportunities for educators and the communities that help support education; and
    provide access to current innovations, trends, ideas, case studies, and other best practices for educators and the communities that help support education.

Community sponsors are the primary source of funding for this event and will help ensure its success. You can provide support in the following ways:

    Be an event supporter through a monetary donation.
    Volunteer at the event.
    Host a presentation on your products or services.
    Provide samples or trials showcasing your services

We invite you to help us promote online education as an official corporate sponsor.

The event is a major annual one in Second Life with hundreds attending and numerous discussions about various topics on education and virtual worlds. This includes some discussions in which Lindens, including CEOs, took part and talked about what was going on with the Lab. 

For the announcement in full, Click Here.
 

Virtual Ability's Mental Health Conference

  

On Friday April 16, Virtual Ability held it's Mental Health Symposium. The conference had several discussions about different aspects of how the Coronavirus Pandemic has affected peoples' mental health. Gemma Cleanslate was there. She observed two of the talks, as well as looking at some exhibits nearby.
 
Read Gemma's article in Events.
  

Breaking News: Linden Lab May Be Looking to Sell Sansar

Earlier this month, Linden Lab hit it's Sansar staff with it's second round of layoffs in two months, raising questions about the future of the virtual world. At Strawberry Linden's "Lab Gab" show today, the first thing CEO Ebbe Altberg / Ebbe Linden brought up was their plans for it. They were "looking for a plan B ... for Sansar to continue."

Yeah, so as you might have heard, sadly we have decided that we, as Linden Lab, couldn’t continue to sponsor the project financially, so we’re looking for a plan B for Sansar to continue. I can’t say much, but we’re having very interesting conversations with several parties to help that project move forward, which I’m really excited about. But no deal is done yet, so people will just have to be patient and see what happens with it, but yes  it is true that Linden Lab going forward will focus entirely on Second Life and Tilia. I’m still busy making sure that Sansar finds a great home and that the great work that that team has started can continue.

So that’s where things are at. Hopefully, we can be more specific on what’s going on in the next couple of weeks or so. So lots of conversations going on.

The "conversations with several parties to help that project move forward" could very easily mean that the Lab is looking to sell Sansar. But it could also mean they're looking for a company to partner with to keep the next-generation virtual world running. In either case, they're still in the middle of negotiations. So it will be some time until a decision is made.

There was much more discussed at the Lab Gab, which will be covered later.

Sources: Modem World, New World Notes, Ryan Scultz

 Bixyl Shuftan

Announcement: World Space Week Oct 4-10

The National Space Society and the International Spaceflight Museum are teaming up to celebrate World Space Week during the week of October 4 - 10 [ https://www.worldspaceweek.org/ ]. The 2019 theme is “The Moon:  Gateway to the Stars.” According to a UN General Assembly resolution on 6 December 1999:  “The General Assembly declares 4 to 10 October World Space Week to celebrate each year at the international level the contributions of space science and technology to the betterment of the human condition”.

We would like to have space-related presentations and panel discussions throughout the week...extra credit for connection to this year's topic or the UN event's purpose. Potential presenters: please feel free to propose your own topic! If you would like to make a presentation or participate in one or more panel discussions, please contact Ariel Miranda with the following:


Your avatar name: 

Your real life name and brief credentials (not required but will be considered): 

What presentation(s) and/or panel discussions would you like to propose/participate in?: 


Current panel topic brainstorming includes:
    The value proposition for colonizing the Moon, and Mars
    Resolved: micro-satellites are the scourge of the spaceways
    Lunar Gateway: Foundation or Farce?
    How close are we to the tipping point beyond which profits can be made in space?
    Moons of Jupiter and Saturn
    Asteroid mining
    The place of the arts in space
Please let us know if you have other suggestions.

If you are aware of other potentially interested individuals or groups, please feel free to pass along this information.

Ad astra (to the stars!),
Ariel Miranda

Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education At A Glance

A few days ago, the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education, or VWBPE, conference took place. Among the volunteers was the Newser's Gemma Cleanslate. Besides helping out, she also took the time to watch some discussions, look at some of the exhibits, and take part in the games.

Read Gemma's story in Events.

VWBPE Is Tomorrow

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education, or VWBPE. The event is "a global grass-roots community event focusing on education in immersive virtual environments." They show how virtual worlds can be used to further adult education.

Saturday March 30 was the Press Day of the event, in which some of Second Life's media got an early look. Phelan Corrimal and Beth Ghostraven addressed the small crowd.

The Kickoff event is tomorrow April 4 at 8 AM SL time. Check the calendar for a list of events.

https://vwbpe.org/

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Gateway/178/128/38

Scenes From the VWBPE

From March 15 to 17, the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education event took place in Second Life. Over the three days, residents gathered to discuss how virtual worlds such as this one can and are being used for the purposes of educating people. The Newser was there, and took a number of pictures.

See more in Events.

VWBPE List of Events

The Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education starts today. For three days, starting with the opening ceremony at 8AM, there will be a number of discussions and other events, including one with Ebbe Linden at 1PM SL time. A list of them has been provided, too big for the main page, so they're placed in the "Events" section.

To read the schedule, head to Events.

Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education

  

The 11th annual Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education event, sometimes called the VWBPE for short, will be in a few days. It describes itself as a "global grass-roots community" with the purpose of demonstrating how virtual worlds, notably Second Life, can and are being used for the purpose of education. Gemma Cleanslate was recently at the VWBPE grounds, and took a look around.

Read Gemma's article in Events.

Press Release: VWBPE 2018 Kick-Off: “VRevolutions”

March 15 starts the three-day Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education Conference, with an amazing line-up of speakers, workshops, sim demonstrations, poster presentations, open discussions, and more.  The conference will cover a wide range of subjects concerning virtual worlds and their use for education, virtual reality, smart games, arts and science, and the future of technology.

This year's keynote speakers are Dr. Mark Childs and Dr. Bryan Alexander (https://vwbpe.org/conference/keynotes2018). They will help us consider the future of virtual worlds and virtual reality in education.

Each VWBPE conference keynote speaker and their respective presentations is featured on the conference website (https://vwbpe.org), along with a calendar of exciting presentations, social activities, and networking events that will set extraordinary discussions in motion. 

We have Immersive Experiences happening before and after  the conference. Our Passport to the Metaverse Quest (https://vwbpe.org/conference/passport-to-the-metaverse-2018) is the ticket to all of our extra-conference activities including wonderful applications of Second Life, Kitely, and World of Warcraft in education.

Additionally, this open and free conference would not be possible without the generous contributions of our VWBPE sponsors (https://vwbpe.org/sponsors-2018).

The Rockcliffe Registration Portal is open for people to register new avatars and find out more about the VWBPE conference in-world. Go to https://urockcliffe.com/reg/second-life/ and all the instructions are there to get your friends started.

The full conference schedule is online here: https://vwbpe.org/conference/vwbpe-calendar. You can also view presentations live on YouTube (https://vwbpe.org/watch). All of the conference events will be in Second Life this year, and the locations are included in the listings. When you click on a conference event and click Add to Calendar, you can add the event to your own calendar (Google+ and more).

**Keynotes**

VWBPE Main Auditorium
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Central%204/34/31/22

Keynote: Identity, literacy, immersion and presence; joining together the building blocks of virtual world learning
Dr. Mark Childs
TEL Designer, Open University
Thursday, March 15, 2018
9:30 – 10:30am SLT/US Pacific Daylight Time
VWBPE Main Auditorium

Keynote: The VRevolution calls for a new digital literacy
Bryan Alexander
Education Futurist
Friday, March 16, 2018
11:00am – 12:00pm  SLT/US Pacific Daylight Time
VWBPE Main Auditorium

**Above the Book**

Above the Book at the VWBPE 2018 Conference will feature Ebbe Altberg (SL: Ebbe Altberg). This session will be Livestreamed.

Calendar: https://vwbpe.org/conference/vwbpe-calendar
Registration: http://vwb.pe/register 
Rockcliffe Registration Portal: https://urockcliffe.com/reg/second-life/
Sponsors: https://vwbpe.org/sponsors-2018

Contact:
Beth S. O’Connell
VWBPE Communications Chair
marketing@vwbpe.com
Avatar: Beth Ghostraven