Minecraft empowers students to solve climate issues, builds skills for green careers
Minecraft empowers students to solve climate issues, builds skills for green careers
Minecraft empowers students to solve climate issues, builds skills for green careers
August 29, 2022
Summary
During the pandemic, educators and students at John Dewey High School in Brooklyn established a Minecraft Club to foster school community.
"There is real collaboration that happens between staff and students, with grassroots programs and after school clubs that gives everyone a sense of ownership." When the pandemic hit, John Dewey High School educators immediately recognized the opportunity to use Minecraft: Education Edition to connect students learning from home with fun, educational activities-and continue that sense of community.
So in March 2020, when he got a notification that Minecraft: Education Edition was free to all students, he immediately resolved to start a Minecraft Club the next school year.
Initially, his goal was simple: give students a place to relax, have a good time, and connect with other students, first remotely, then in person.
What could spark student interest more than actually pulling on waders and getting into the creek to look for oyster species and testing water quality? When you add Minecraft to the equation, students can recreate the estuary environment, and even come up with creative solutions to environmental problems like pollution that threaten the oyster reefs.
Based on the success of the competition, Microsoft selected NYCDOE to launch the Net Zero Challenge across all its schools, a Minecraft build challenge that invited students to design climate solutions to support the city's carbon reduction programs.
"Programs like Battle of the Boroughs and Net Zero Challenge give students a voice and a cause. This is so important as we prepare students for the future, and for jobs that our cities need: in renewable energy, climate resilience, green building, and sustainable transit." Salwa Omar, a senior and president of the Minecraft Club is a perfect example of a student who honed STEM and leadership skills with the game.
Reference
New York City Department of Education. (2022, August 29). Minecraft empowers students to solve climate issues, builds skills for Green Careers. Retrieved October 4, 2022, from https://customers.microsoft.com/en-us/story/1540815343309026631-nyc-k12-edu-minecraft-en-united-states