For those ready to take that step, a March 31 event at the Gheens Science Hall and Rauch Planetarium might be exactly what they are looking for.

A free, public event from 2-3 p.m. at the planetarium will feature two virtual-reality clips shown on the planetarium’s 55-foot, immersive dome:

• “” gives viewers a chance to experience a day in the life of a Kenyan girl as she copes with extreme poverty. The video shows the young girl as she travels vast distances to fetch water, gather wood and, after dark, walk to a nearby town so she will have lights to complete her school work.

• “” shows the exuberance of gay pride parades from around the world. The clip was first shown during a 2016 LGBTQ event in Louisville and was so popular attendees rated it as the best session of the conference. 

After the clips are shown, there will be a discussion about how to harness of the power of virtual reality film-making in the Louisville community.

The conversation will be facilitated by Aukram Burton, executive director of Kentucky Center for African American Heritage; Dean Otto, curator of film for the Speed Art Museum; Leo Osborne, founder of a video and digital communications firm; and Nathaniel Spencer, who runs a video services company and is a Louisville Film Commission advisory board member.

“Empowerment” kicks off Feb. 17-26 with a focus on Black History Month and civil rights. University and community leaders will give post-screening discussions as an integral part of the series.

The free, public explores social justice through current events and how those events — and the people involved — are shaping history through action.

“The videos are adapted to the planetarium’s projection system to give viewers an incredible, immersive experience,” said Paula McGuffey, who manages planetarium operations. “The impact is truly astounding. We plan to follow each viewing with a discussion on how we can all make a difference in our world.”

McGuffey said the idea for the new show was born after the planetarium offered something similar last November during an LGBTQ conference and learned the videos were the most highly-rated session of the conference.  

Shows are 6 p.m. Feb. 17, 18 and 24, and 2 p.m. Feb. 18, 19, 25 and 26. 

McGuffey said show times were chosen to make it easy for people to also see the documentary “” at the nearby Speed Cinema at the Speed Art Museum. The documentary airs an hour after the planetarium’s shows and costs $7 to $9.

The clips that will be shown in the series are public but have been adapted for the planetarium screen. Below is an example: