American Metaverse Association

US Metaverse Association Official Report | April 2024

The US Metaverse Association is honored to present the 2024 Humanitarian Impact Award to Dr. Nandini Rao, a renowned Indian educator and technology advocate, for her extraordinary leadership in expanding metaverse access for education in underserved and remote communities.

As the Head of the Digital Inclusion Project, Dr. Rao has dedicated her career to bridging the digital divide across India and other Global South regions. Her groundbreaking work focuses on harnessing metaverse technologies to deliver immersive, equitable, and culturally relevant education to children and youth in rural areas—many of whom lack traditional internet infrastructure or access to qualified educators.

“Dr. Rao’s vision reminds us that the true promise of the metaverse lies not in profit, but in possibility,” said the Association’s President. “She has brought learning to the last mile—not just through connectivity, but through dignity, access, and innovation.”

Dr. Rao began her career as a public-school teacher and later transitioned into education technology research. Her Digital Inclusion Project, supported by India’s Ministry of Education, UNICEF, and several grassroots NGOs, has deployed low-bandwidth metaverse learning hubs in over 150 remote villages. These hubs use solar-powered VR kits, multilingual AI tutors, and immersive classroom simulations to provide consistent and high-quality education across regions affected by poverty, conflict, or geographic isolation.

One of her most celebrated initiatives is “Learn in the Cloud, Grow on the Ground”, a community-based education model that combines metaverse content with local mentorship. Her work has directly benefited over 80,000 students and trained more than 2,000 local educators and facilitators.

In addition to field implementation, Dr. Rao has been a strong voice in international policy dialogues on inclusive tech design, gender equity in virtual spaces, and ethical digital education. She has served as an advisor to UNESCO’s Inclusive Futures program and is a founding member of the South Asian Digital Rights Collective.

The Humanitarian Impact Award recognizes individuals whose contributions to the metaverse have had a measurable and meaningful impact on global human development. Dr. Rao exemplifies the spirit of inclusion, showing how immersive technologies can be tools of liberation and opportunity for all.

In her acceptance message, Dr. Rao said: “When a girl in a Himalayan village can step into a virtual science lab, or a tribal boy in Odisha can learn world history in his own language—that is when the metaverse becomes meaningful. This award belongs to every child we’ve reached, and every community that dared to believe in digital possibility.”

Dr. Rao will participate in a featured panel at the Global Metaverse Innovation Summit 2024 in Palo Alto this October, focusing on “Equity, Access, and Empowerment in the Next Generation Internet.”