The U.S. military has long understood the value of immersive simulations in education. Before the Navy entrusts a ship to a crew, crew members must first practice and demonstrate their competency in a fully immersive, simulated environment. Why not teach students in the same way? K-12 educators in Pennsylvania, USA, recently did just that when they partnered with the U.S. Navy in the Real World Navy Challenge (RWNC, www.rwnc.org). A joint project coordinated by the Navy, the Chester County Intermediate Unit, and Delaware Valley Industrial Resources Center, the RWNC uses immersive learning to give students real-world problem-based scenarios requiring science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) knowledge and skills, without requiring them to leave the classroom. Bottom line, hands-on problem-based learning (PBL) has increased student engagement and learning. Virtual environments provide a way to get that hands-on experience for students, even when the logistics of the real world get in the way.