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By 2028, the U.S. will have the largest percentage of foreign-born individuals since 1850 with non-Hispanic whites in the 18-29 age group in the minority. These changing demographics require a major shift in education practices that will affect these residents' ability to continue their education, recruit for civilian careers, enlist in the military, and simply navigate in a digital society. These residents have a range of challenges from language barriers to lack of access to the Internet and mobile devices that must be addressed. Extended Reality (XR) technologies, interwoven with learning theories, offer solutions to these challenges. This paper presents a study of XR-enabled educational delivery models with the community of Storm Lake to enhance students’ aspirations for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers. Storm Lake is a rural Iowa community with a large low-skilled workforce employed in the agroindustrial sector and a K-12 student population that is 64% English Language Learners and 85% students of color. The research began with co-design activities (formal process actively involving all stakeholders) with teachers, students, and families in the community without technology use. Analyzed study data showed that traditional technology development and deployment practices would not effectively educate or inspire students on their own. For example, providing teachers with XR devices creates a training burden to properly operate, often resulting in unused technology. Co-design activities, with place-based challenges in XR environments, were effective for students to learn STEM-related content. Co-design activities concluded in a three-day summer workshop for 10 high school students. At the workshop, students defined place- based challenge(s) in their community and implemented an XR technological solution in software and hardware. Assessments showed positive results from the students on several measures, including evidence that the workshop contributed to seven of the 10 applying to a university in a STEM major. 

According to the CDC, over three thousand people die every year from drowning in the United States. Many of these fatalities are preventable with properly trained lifeguards. Traditional lifeguard training relies on videos and mock rescues. While these methods are important, they have their shortcomings. Videos are static and do not build muscle memory. Mock rescues are labor-intensive and potentially put others in danger. Virtual reality (VR) can be used as an alternative training tool, building muscle memory in a fully controlled and safe environment. With full control over variables such as weather, population, and other distractions, lifeguards can be better equipped to respond to any situation. The single most important aspect of life guarding is finding the victim. This head rotation skill can be practiced and perfected in VR before guards ever get onto the stand. It also allows guards to practice in uncommon but nevertheless dangerous conditions such as fog and large crowds. VR also allows the user to get immediate feedback about performance and where they can improve.