The nonprofit Mozilla has announced that it is providing $55,000 to support four projects in Lafayette.

Each project will receive a grant of between $10,000 and $15,000.

“We’re focusing on projects that leverage gigabit internet speeds — up to 250 (times) average speeds — to make a positive impact,” said Lindsey Frost, who directs the Mozilla Community Gigabit Fund.

The four projects receiving grants in Lafayette are:

The Lafayette Science Museum will develop Coastal Quest, a virtual reality game that allows visitors to explore coastal erosion in Louisiana and select coastal defenses that slow or mitigate erosion.

Students at David Thibodaux STEM Magnet Academy will create, design, test and demonstrate a virtual reality walkthrough of the Atomic Agora Tiny House. This tiny house will be donated by Habitat for Humanity to families transitioning from shelters or displacement to permanent homes.

The University of the Louisiana at Lafayette will lead a project for high school students to participate virtually in a college level course via a 4K video stream. The project aims to increase college awareness and attainment rates for students, and develop a potentially scalable model.

UL and David Thibodaux STEM will pilot an immersive virtual reality field trip experience that allows educators and experts to guide and assess students through the CLECO Alternative Energy Center in Crowley.

The Fund is run in partnership with the National Science Foundation and U.S. Ignite.

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