Academic Editor: Maria Beatrice Ligorio Received: 8 December 2024 Revised: 27 January 2025 Accepted: 22 February 2025 Published: 26 February 2025 Citation: Carmona-Galindo, V. D., Velado-Cano, M. A., & Groat-Carmona, A. M. (2025). The Ecology of Climate Change: Using Virtual Reality to Share, Experience, and Cultivate Local and Global Perspectives. Education Sciences, 15(3), 290. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/educsci15030290 Copyright: © 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/). Article The Ecology of Climate Change: Using Virtual Reality to Share, Experience, and Cultivate Local and Global Perspectives Victor Daniel Carmona-Galindo 1, * , Maryory Andrea Velado-Cano 2 and Anna Maria Groat-Carmona 3 1 Natural Sciences Division, Biology Department, University of La Verne, 1950 Third Street, La Verne, CA 91750, USA 2 Department of Process Engineering and Environmental Sciences, Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas, La Libertad 05001, El Salvador; mvelado@uca.edu.sv 3 School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, University of Washington, Tacoma, WA 98402, USA; groat@uw.edu * Correspondence: vcarmona@laverne.edu Abstract: The global challenge of climate change demands innovative, inclusive, and experiential education that fosters ecological literacy, behavioral change, and climate ad- vocacy. This study explores a cross-cultural collaboration between two undergraduate ecology courses—one at the University of La Verne (ULV) in California and the other at the Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas (UCA) in El Salvador—that employed 360 ◦ virtual reality (VR) photosphere photographs to investigate climate change impacts. Students documented local ecological phenomena, such as drought and habitat loss, and shared insights with international peers, facilitating a rich exchange of perspectives across biomes. Generative AI tools like ChatGPT were utilized to overcome language barriers, enabling equitable participation and enhancing cross-cultural communication. The findings highlight VR’s transformative role in helping students visualize and communicate com- plex ecological concepts while fostering empathy, emotional engagement, and agency as climate advocates. Institutional and curricular factors shaping the integration of VR-based approaches are discussed, along with their potential to drive behavioral shifts and promote global engagement. This study demonstrates that immersive technologies, combined with collaborative learning, provide a powerful framework for bridging geographic and cultural divides, equipping students with the tools and perspectives needed to address the critical global challenges posed by climate change. Keywords: climate change education; cross-cultural collaboration; environmental advocacy; experiential learning; global citizenship; sustainability education; virtual reality in education 1. Introduction Climate change is reshaping ecosystems and communities on a global scale, com- pelling educators to engage students with the scientific concepts underlying these pressing environmental challenges of the 21st century (Brown, 2024). Ecology courses provide a unique opportunity to explore the intricate relationships between climate dynamics, bio- diversity, and human systems (Ecological Society of America, n.d.). Addressing justice and equity in climate change education is critical for equipping students from diverse backgrounds with the knowledge and tools needed to confront these challenges effectively (Walsh, 2021). Traditional lecture methods often struggle to convey the complex, multi- faceted nature of climate issues in ways that are both tangible and actionable. Innovative approaches are essential to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical Educ. Sci. 2025, 15, 290 https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15030290