The Virtual Mine is a complete 3D virtual mountaintop removal mine built by Deep Down in the popular world Second Life. The virtual mine, developed at BAVC's Producers Institute for New Media Technologies with funding from ITVS and MacArthur Foundation, is an educational 3D environment, game, and educational curriculum for teachers, students, and anyone who'd like to learn more about mountain top removal, coal fired power production, alternative energies, and the amazing music and culture in the Appalachian mountains. Read more about our inspiration and development at the Producers Institute, and our meeting with Second Life Education at the Institute.
Get ready to play and explore!
Download Second Life, create your avatar, and get ready to join us in the Virtual Mountain Mine.
Second Life for Educators
We created the Virtual Mine and associated video clips with teachers in mind, and we will be developing and providing an Educator's Guide to accompany it. Additional resources for teachers include:
Watch Draxtor Despres' lastest machinema on Global Kids
Global kids use Second Life for education. Rik Panganiban from Global Kids, who worked with us during the BAVC Producers Institute on educational aspects of the Virtual Mine, is featured in Drax's reportage:
Thank you Wendy Levy, Director of Creative Programs, Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC) Claudia L'Amoureaux, Linden Labs Education All of the BAVC Producers Institute staff, mentors, teams, speakers, and funders
Machinema from the Virtual Mine
"Machinema" is video recorded from within a virtual world. Below, see our Second Life reporter Bernhard Drax and Wendy Levy in conversation as their avatars, inside the Virtual Mine studio:
Deep Down at Appalachia Rising
We'll be at Appalachia Rising in Washington, D.C., working with amazing organizations, filmmakers, and regular folks on a series of workshops, activities, actions, and more. Join us! If you're anywhere near the D.C. area, this will be a weekend well-spent, and one you will not forget. The things you'll learn and the people you'll meet will change your life, guaranteed. A small chance to make a big difference.
Virtual Mine
Developed at the 