SAN FRANCISCO, June 18, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Holberton School, the college alternative for software engineers, today announced it has partnered with Unity Technologies, creator of the most widely used real-time 3D development platform, as well as Tom Emrich, a leading visionary in AR, VR, and wearable tech, to open the first Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) Learning Centers at their schools in San Francisco, Connecticut and Bogotá, Colombia. The centers’ curriculum was unveiled today in an event at the flagship San Francisco campus featuring Grammy Award winner NE-YO, and executives from Ubisoft and Unity Technologies.

“Unity’s real-time 3D development platform has been at the core of some of the most engaging AR and VR experiences like Disney’s Cycles, Crow: The Legend, IKEA Place, Wayfair Spaces, and many more,” said Jessica Lindl, vice president, Education at Unity Technologies. “We’re incredibly proud to work with Holberton School to enable success for the next generation of creators pushing the boundaries of what is possible in augmented and virtual reality.”

Augmented and virtual reality are two emerging and evolving industries. By mastering the skills to work within these industries now, students will be able to shape and influence the future of each field. Additionally, they will develop skills that are in high demand but low supply. Currently, one billion mobile devices are AR-enabled, and this number is expected to grow to more than 3.4 billion by 2020.

Holberton students will learn how to use Unity for scripting, animation, UI design, the creation of shaders, game and application testing, as well as UX concepts specific to AR and VR, including accessibility, immersive storytelling, spatial audio, and user comfort. With these skills, students will be able to create interactive experiences of all kinds, not only for gaming, but also for use in sectors such as automotive, AEC, and film.

Holberton's curriculum combines project-based and peer learning where students help each other to learn and reach goals. At Holberton, there are no lectures and no formal teachers. Students acquire practical skills, an understanding of theory through hands-on learning, and the development of actual systems and applications. This practical, hands-on experience guarantees that students possess the skills necessary for the technology industry's most demanding jobs. Students are also closely advised by mentors from Silicon Valley's leading tech companies.

“Augmented and virtual reality mark a huge shift in computing, moving it from 2D to 3D, enabling digital experiences we can interact with just like we do the world around us,” said Emrich. "With this shift comes a need for a new set of skills. Holberton’s AR/VR curriculum equips students with real-world, business-imperative AR/VR skills positioning both the students - and the companies that hire them - for success in this next wave of computing."

Emrich has more than a decade of experience in emerging technologies, working with powerhouse brands and organizations to devise and implement strategies leveraging AR/VR, and wearable tech. He has played a critical role in growing and nurturing the AR/VR ecosystem as an investor and community builder. His thoughts on the space are sought after by media, brands and technology companies as one of the world’s most recognized thought leaders on the next wave of computing.

“Tom and Unity have been instrumental in creating this curriculum, giving our students the tools they need to compete with students from MIT, Stanford, and Harvard for some of the most exciting jobs in tech,” said Sylvain Kalache, co-founder, Holberton. “AR/VR has already impacted every industry at every level, and our students will be ready.”

The Holberton school offers an alternative to college, online courses and coding bootcamps for training world-class full-stack software engineers, leveraging a proven system long-used in Europe. Holberton's students are hired at top-tier Silicon Valley employers, such as Apple, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Google. Holberton also boasts one of the most diverse learning institutions in the tech industry, with an automated admission process designed to reduce human bias.

By offering ISA as a tuition model, the school charges no upfront tuition. Instead, graduates are asked to contribute a percentage of their salaries to the school for the first three years of their post-Holberton employment, giving back to the next generation of software engineers

To learn more about Holberton School enrollment and opportunities, visit www.holbertonschool.com.

About Holberton School
Using project-based learning and peer learning, Holberton’s mission is to train the best software engineers of their generation. At Holberton, there are no formal teachers and no formal courses. Instead, everything is project-centered. Holberton gives students increasingly difficult programming challenges to solve and minimal initial directions on how to solve them. As a consequence, students naturally look for the theory and tools they need, understand them, use them, work together, and help each other. Holberton School teaches how to learn instead of teaching a specific tool or programming language. Holberton School is based in San Francisco, with additional campuses in Connecticut and Colombia. Because of its powerful mission, Holberton is supported by leaders from across technology, entertainment, business and sports industries. It is backed by top-tier venture firms Trinity Ventures, Omidyar Network and Reach Capital. Go to www.holbertonschool.com to learn more.

Editorial Contact
Joe Eckert for Holberton School
jeckertflak@gmail.com