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Creativity. Technology. Business.

At the Stratford School we believe that an experiential education style accelerates knowledge and fuels innovation. We bring together a dynamic community of students, researchers, industry, and entrepreneurs to advance digital media technology and creative application.

Latest News

person wearing a Virtual Reality Headset
Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Intentional Design Key to Promoting Empathy in Virtual Reality

Researchers at the Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business challenge the belief that Virtual Reality (VR) inherently fosters perspective-taking in their article, “Seeing Is Not Thinking: Testing capabilities of VR to Promote Perspective-Taking.” They argue that VR's potential as an "empathy machine" relies on intentional design that promotes active cognitive engagement. Through experiments, they found that perspective-taking is enhanced when users are prompted with specific tasks, encouraging them to consider the character's viewpoint. This study, which received the Best Paper Award at IEEE VR, underscores the importance of purposeful VR design to effectively harness its empathetic capabilities.

A group of students are sitting around a table in the atrium discussing their next projects.
Thursday, May 8, 2025

Building Community Through Clubs

Because of the Stratford School Student Initiatives Fund supporting student-led activities, Gaurav was able to grow as a leader and community builder, whether it was through coding for a local non-profit or reviving the GBDA On Air podcast to reach incoming students.

Learn more about the Stratford School Student Initiatives Fund, and join us on May 15th for Giving Day, encouraging donations to support educational initiatives.

A picture of a sign that says "welcome to GBDA" on a table amongst lots of craft supplies
Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Opening doors to new possibilities: the Global Business and Digital Arts entrance scholarship

The Global Business and Digital Arts (GBDA) Entrance Scholarship at the University of Waterloo supports students from disadvantaged backgrounds, helping them focus on their studies and campus life without financial burden. The scholarship boosts confidence and sense of belonging, with recipients like Lia expressing deep gratitude and commitment to giving back.

Learn more about the GBDA Entrance Scholarship, and join us on May 15th for Giving Day, encouraging donations to support educational initiatives.

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