Unity, the world’s leading platform for creating and operating real-time 3D (RT3D) content, has announced the winners of the Unity for Humanity Rare Impact Challenge: Apart of Me and What It’s Like To Be Me. Created in partnership with Selena Gomez’s Rare Impact by Rare Beauty, the Unity for Humanity Rare Impact Challenge is a grant honouring creators building mental health-focused experiences. Winners receive funding, mentorship, and technical support to advance and scale their projects.
“We know technology is being used to raise awareness for and normalise mental health conversations, and as a method for treatment of mental health. The quality and diversity of the entries we received underscores the power of real-time 3D to uniquely address this important area of social impact. Along with Rare Impact, we’re proud to support and amplify these voices,” said Unity vice president, social impact Jessica Lindl.
The Rare Impact Challenge winners were chosen based on each project’s commitment to impact, viability, community connection, innovation, and inclusivity, and use of Unity’s real-time 3D technology to tell their stories:
- Apart of Me is a mobile game that supports young people and their families through the heartbreak and confusion of grief, helping them learn to live fully despite their loss. The game translates bereavement-counseling techniques into a 3D world and was created by a team of 126 skilled volunteers from around the world, collaborating to help vulnerable young people transform their grief into compassion.
- What It’s Like To Be Me, a virtual reality experience, takes users through five personal stories where they can embody and navigate from the perspective of a member of the LGBTQ+ community experiencing discrimination. Each story is based on real-life experiences, showing the reality of the mental, emotional, and physical strain of minority stress, along with the strength and resilience of each storyteller. What It’s Like To Be Me was created by Marc Svensson, founder and CEO of Helsa, Kate Luxion, and Lee Stewart.
“This year more than ever, leveraging technology to address mental health is critical. The depth, breadth, and quality of submissions we received further validates the role technology plays in transforming issues, like mental health, for the better. Together with Unity, we are honoured to lift up the voices of the incredible creators behind this work,” said Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez VP social impact and inclusion Elyse Cohen.
Rare Impact aims to reduce the stigma associated with mental health, address the epidemic of chronic loneliness, and support access to mental health services in schools and educational settings. As many creators are focusing their work on mental health and well-being, the Unity for Humanity Rare Impact Challenge is designed to enhance and support their work and is part of the existing Unity for Humanity program within Unity Social Impact, which celebrates and empowers creators who are using real-time 3D to inspire change.