A public school for every kind of learner
Virtual Horizons Charter School is a Utah public charter school, and our classrooms are in virtual reality. We teach grades 4 through 12, live, with licensed Utah teachers.
We are an inclusive school, and an innovative one. We nurture curiosity, encourage growth, and support the whole student.
“When I learned about virtual reality, it was transformative. It was where education needs to go to bring the best of the world to students wherever they live.”
Kristin Elinkowski · Board ChairHow we started
A different path to educational success
Some students do not thrive in a traditional classroom. Some live hours from the schools other families take for granted. Virtual Horizons was built for both.
We started with one question. What if the classroom could go anywhere?
In virtual reality it can. A licensed teacher explains the concept first, and then the class goes and has the experience. They orbit Saturn, stand inside a cell, walk through a moment in history, and come back and talk about it.
Your student walks in as an avatar with their name on it. They can move around the room and talk with the students beside them. It is closer to being there in person than looking at faces on a screen. An experience becomes a memory.
It also means a teacher’s location stops mattering. We can hire strong teachers from anywhere in the state and bring everyone into the same room. It does not matter whether you live in downtown Salt Lake City or the Four Corners.
We are honest about our limits, too. We start at 4th grade because today’s headsets are too heavy for younger students. And we enroll Utah students only, because Utah taxpayers fund this school.
Built to evolve
We set the school up so that as technology innovates and evolves, we can evolve with it. That covers what comes next in virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence.
Who runs the school
Virtual Horizons is its own Utah nonprofit with its own board of directors. Oasis XRE is the company behind the platform, and it employs our teachers.
Every teacher trains in the headset before a single class meets, in the same equipment their students are provided.
Our journey
2023
Founded as a Utah nonprofit
Virtual Horizons Charter School was registered as a Utah nonprofit corporation on June 29, 2023.
State authorization
Chartered in Utah
Virtual Horizons Charter School was authorized through the State of Utah.
In the news
On the air
KSL at Night invited our board chair on to explain what a VR school actually is.
2025–26
Our first year
Our doors opened statewide, and Utah students started school inside virtual reality. We closed it the way we wanted to: a student showcase honoring our first year of inspiring learners.
2026–27
Grades 4–12
The 2026–27 year opens Monday, August 17, with grades 4 through 12. Grades 4–8 meet live with the teacher. Grades 9–12 work at their own pace.
Where Learning Knows No Bounds
That includes families in rural Utah, and students who have been educationally disadvantaged. Reaching both is a goal we set for this school.
Our students are not defined by labels. They are individuals with unique strengths, challenges, and stories.
We are proud to offer this education tuition free.
Learning together
A real sense of community
It is a virtual platform, and your student learns from home. It is also a school full of people.
Class meets live. Their teacher is in the room with them, and so are their classmates. They see each other, they hear each other, and they turn and ask questions out loud.
There is something about learning in a virtual world together that connects the people in it. It is not sitting behind a computer watching a little screen on Zoom. Your student is really there with their class. They are part of something.
Come see for yourself
Enrollment is open for the 2026–27 school year. Grades 4–12, tuition-free, anywhere in Utah. School starts Monday, August 17. Everyone is welcome.