The Dream Space team from W5 LIFE were delighted to deliver an exciting collaborative project as part of the PEACEPLUS ASPIRE (Advancing Shared Partnerships through Inclusive Relationships in Education) programme, empowering teachers and pupils to explore the creative and educational possibilities of Minecraft Education.
What is PEACEPLUS ASPIRE?
PEACEPLUS ASPIRE is a multi-year, cross-border and cross-sectoral Shared Education initiative designed to increase the number of children, educators and leaders engaged in sustained partnerships with those from different backgrounds. Through meaningful collaboration, the programme aims to create positive change within educational settings and the wider community, helping to build a more peaceful and cohesive society.
As part of this initiative, Dream Space at W5 LIFE provides free immersive, research-based STEM experiences for students, teachers and communities. A bespoke Minecraft Education programme was developed to support ASPIRE, combining teacher professional learning, classroom activities and a shared education experience.
The programme brought together 13 schools across 6 shared education sessions, with a key focus on helping teachers develop confidence and skills in using Minecraft Education as a tool for learning in the classroom.
Supporting Teachers Through Professional Learning
The programme began with teachers attending a dedicated professional learning session at Dream Space at W5 LIFE, where they explored games-based learning and developed their skills in using Minecraft Education. Teachers left equipped with the knowledge, resources and confidence to deliver Minecraft Education activities within their own classrooms, including challenges such as Pixel Art, Hour of Code and Crafting Communities.
Mission Moon Base
Following the teacher training, pupils took part in classroom activities before beginning their final collaborative project.
As part of the project, pupils were challenged to think beyond the limits of Earth and design their ideal Moon Base. Working collaboratively, each school developed and described its vision, sharing their ideas and plans with their partner school, and then brought that vision to life by constructing the Moon Base in Minecraft Education. This required pupils to communicate their ideas clearly and trust their partners to interpret and transform those ideas into a Minecraft Education build.
Through the project, pupils developed a wide range of skills, including communication, creativity, problem-solving, digital literacy and teamwork. It also provided valuable opportunities for schools to collaborate, exchange ideas and learn from one another in meaningful and engaging ways.
A Shared Education Celebration
The project wrapped up with a celebration day in W5 LIFE, where partner schools came together to present their builds and see first-hand how their designs had been transformed into immersive Minecraft worlds.
The excitement continued beyond Minecraft with a series of hands-on STEM challenges. Pupils explored coding using Sphero Indi robots, learning how colour can be used to programme routes and actions. They also put their engineering skills to the test in a fast-paced tower-building challenge, where teams were tasked with constructing the tallest free-standing paper tower possible using limited materials and working against the clock.
The celebration day highlighted not only the impressive Moon Bases created throughout the programme, but also the curiosity, innovation, teamwork and friendships that had flourished along the way. It was a fantastic showcase of what can be achieved when technology, creativity and collaboration come together to inspire the next generation of learners.