Boys & Girls Clubs of America Introduces Virtual Reality to Enhance Safe Driving Education for Teens

Press Release

ATLANTA – April 4, 2022 – Boys & Girls Clubs of America, with support from The UPS Foundation,  is enhancing UPS Road Code, a program that teaches safe driving techniques to teens so they can “drive change” in their communities. The new addition of cutting-edge HTC VIVE Focus 3 headsets will provide an immersive, fun and educational experience.

Since 2009, UPS Road Code has reached nearly 60,000 teens at 265 Boys & Girls Clubs across the nation and on U.S. military installations overseas. Available to teens age 13-18, the program is based largely on the same safety training used with UPS’s own drivers, enlisting UPS employees to serve as trained volunteer instructors to guide teens through the safe driving program.

“The UPS Road Code program is incredibly important to equip teens with the skills they need to be safe and successful both on and off the road,” says Mike Belcher, Senior Vice President of Child Safety, Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “Not only do the virtual reality headsets offer an immersive technology experience to better prepare teens for future workforce training experiences, but they further strengthen the impact of the UPS Road Code Program, prioritizing the safety of young people above all else.”

Through the integration of HTC’s VIVE Focus 3 headsets to offer 5k resolution, an ultra-wide 120-degree field of view and exceptional immersion, Atlanta-based VR training solutions firm, Foundry 45 has taken the UPS Road Code curriculum to the next level offering nine virtual reality skill packs across three scenarios to enhance the learning and practice of safe driving techniques from the UPS Road Code curriculum.

“We are thrilled to be a part of such an impactful project for teens at Boys & Girls Clubs across the nation and on military installations overseas,” said Dave Beck, Founder & Managing Partner, Foundry 45. “Every aspect of UPS Road Code’s design is intentional to provide the highest-level educational experience and to reinforce the importance of road safety for teens as they take away valuable skills from this immersive virtual training program.”

To learn more about UPS Road Code and the impact it continues to have for Club teens, visit bgca.org/roadcode. 

About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For 160 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA.org) has provided a safe place for kids and teens to learn and grow. Clubs offer caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Boys & Girls Clubs programming promotes academic success, good character and leadership, and healthy lifestyles. More than 4,700 Clubs serve over 4.3 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more about Boys & Girls Clubs of America on Facebook and Twitter.

About Foundry 45
Foundry 45 uses innovative technologies to create better training outcomes for clients. We are a team of strategists, technologists, engineers, creatives, computer programmers and project managers driven to create powerful, immersive virtual reality experiences. By leveraging new, interactive content, we help organizations break the monotony of their current training routines while providing safer, more efficient and engaging employee training solutions. We’ve delivered hundreds of VR experiences for clients across the country and around the globe, including a number of Fortune 100 companies. Learn more about Foundry 45 on LinkedIn. 

Media Contacts

Eliza Lynch
Manager, Public Relations (Partnerships) External Communications
Boys & Girls Clubs of America
ELynch@bgca.org