Academy of Immersive Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Immersive Arts and Sciences is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization building a global community platform to advance the immersive media industry through education, networking, and recognition. It hosts programs including The Polys Immersive Awards, the WebXR Summit Series, and Ready Player Golf, a virtual reality charity golf fundraiser in Walkabout Mini Golf supporting organizations like Doctors Without Borders and Bridging Rooms.
- Events
- Augmented & Virtual Reality
- Creator / Creative Economy
- Education Technology
- Artificial Intelligence
- Media & Entertainment
- Software Only
Funding
Founders
Founder details are not available yet.
Product
Problem
The immersive media industry faces a fragmented ecosystem where creators, technologists, and enthusiasts lack unified platforms for networking, education, and recognition. This fragmentation slows the adoption of VR, AR, and MR technologies and limits the growth of a skilled workforce needed to produce high-quality immersive content.
Solution
The Academy of Immersive Arts and Sciences provides a comprehensive community platform that accelerates the adoption of immersive technologies through events, educational resources, and industry recognition. It organizes a wide range of programs, including The Polys Immersive Awards, the WebXR Summit Series, and MetaTr@versal events, which bring together creators, technologists, and businesses to share best practices and foster collaboration. The Academy also hosts Ready Player Golf, a virtual reality charity golf fundraiser, to build community engagement while supporting charitable causes. By offering public events, technical support, and networking opportunities, it creates a vibrant ecosystem where immersive content can thrive and evolve. The goal is to build a global Immersive Public Commons and an open interoperable virtual network.
Target Audience
Primary audiences are immersive content creators, including developers, designers, and artists, as well as technology innovators and organizations seeking to advance their use of VR, AR, and MR. The Academy also serves educators, students, researchers, cultural institutions, nonprofits, and underserved communities through inclusive programs.
Features
- Hosts The Polys Immersive Awards, an annual ceremony recognizing excellence in immersive content creation across WebXR and other platforms
- Organizes the WebXR Summit Series, including specialized summits for production, brand, education, design, business, and developer audiences
- Runs MetaTr@versal events and Portal Crawls that promote interoperability and cross-platform connectivity in the metaverse, including the annual Mission Responsible ceremony that inducts an Ombudsperson of the Year
- Produces Ready Player Golf, a two-day virtual reality charity golf fundraiser in Walkabout Mini Golf that supports organizations like Doctors Without Borders and Bridging Rooms
- Provides educational content and resources for developers, designers, and artists to enhance their skills in immersive media
- Offers technology access programs and inclusive educational opportunities for underserved communities to bridge the digital divide