Virtual reality has been promised as an enticing sell to nonprofits for years. But like other trending technology, the perceived barrier to entry is high and the understanding is low.

Some local nonprofits are already doing this work — take Mural Arts, which has been known to livestream events happening inside prisons, and the handful of orgs that benefit from Azavea’s free data mapping services every summer.

For the rest, there’s Tech in the Commons, a free reporting and event series on digital engagement strategies for place-based nonprofits supported by the Knight Foundation and organized by Generocity.

Over four sessions, attendees can expect to learn about augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), data storytelling, live video and social media from people who’ve used them to creatively engage their audiences; think of it as a tech tools bootcamp. Reporting on the series will culminate in an ebook, which you’ll be able to check out for free.

By “place-based nonprofits,” we mean organizations that serve geographical areas or sites — community centers, commercial corridor groups, groups that support public schools, libraries, parks and more. Our goal with this series is to make these technologies seem more accessible and help attendees figure out how to best apply the lessons to their work.

Here’s the event schedule:

• Friday, April 28 — AR/VR (part of Philly Tech Week)
• Tuesday, May 2 — Data storytelling (part of Philly Tech Week)
• Tuesday, May 9 — Live video
• Tuesday, May 16 — Social communication trends

(Psst, get a primer on Philly’s AR/VR scene here, courtesy of sister site Technical.ly Philly.)

Find registration for the latter three events here. Capacity may be limited.

This series is a pilot — a.k.a. the first time we’re trying something like this. Have ideas for how to make it better? Let us know.

Also, save the date for our second annual jobs and engagement fair, INTER/VIEW. The event makes its return on Tuesday, May 23.