In February, eight schools from across the island of Ireland travelled to Microsoft Dream Space in W5 LIFE for the live esports Minecraft Education Habitat for HuMOONity final.
Featured as part of the school’s programme for the NI Science Festival 2024, both primary and secondary school pupils were tasked with building a world in Minecraft Education that explored the possibility of building a habitat on the moon. This challenge not only fostered teamwork and enhanced creative thinking among the students but also underscored the educational value of Minecraft Education in the classroom.
Connected to the school curriculum, Minecraft Education is a game-based platform that inspires creative and inclusive learning through play. Users can explore multiple worlds covering subjects such as reading, maths and coding, suitable for learners of all ages and skill levels.
St. Joseph’s NS in Carrickmacross took home the first-place trophy while St. Joseph's National School, Kinvara came second. Last year’s champions, Royal Belfast Academical Institution came in third place.
Following on from the success of last year’s pilot challenge, 2024 witnessed the return of the Minecraft Education Challenge for its second year, on a much bigger scale.
Conor McKay, learning centre lead at W5 LIFE commented: “2024 was another incredible year for our annual Minecraft Education Challenge at Microsoft Dream Space in W5 LIFE. Last February, we ran a successful pilot event which seen 32 teams enter the competition and create a sustainable world in Minecraft Education. Now, one year on, we have just wrapped up our second competition which seen over 100 teams enter.”
“The substantial growth in registrations, along with the high standard of work submitted by these talented young teams, really highlights the valuable role that Minecraft Education plays in a learning setting. During this year’s live esports final, we welcomed the top eight out of 105 teams to Microsoft Dream Space in W5 LIFE, to replicate their build and pitch it to a panel of judges. These teams travelled from far and wide, from Ballymoney to Galway, which highlights how engaged students are in these programmes.”
For further information about W5 LIFE and their free Minecraft Education workshops at Dream Space in W5 LIFE, please click here.
Take a look back at the esports live final at Dream Space in W5 LIFE
