We’re inviting pupils from across the island of Ireland to step back in time and explore one of history’s most fascinating civilisations through Minecraft Education.
Echoes of Egypt, part of the Microsoft Dream Space Minecraft Education Competition, will challenge pupils to investigate Ancient Egypt, explore life along the River Nile and bring their learning to life by designing and building an immersive Minecraft world.
Following the growing interest in our annual competition, this year’s challenge is open to an even wider age range, giving more young people the opportunity to develop their creativity, collaboration, problem-solving and digital skills through Minecraft Education.
Step into Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was one of the world’s most remarkable civilisations, known for its extraordinary architecture, engineering, culture and innovations.
In this year’s competition, pupils will use research, critical thinking and creativity to explore the civilisation and develop their own Minecraft-inspired interpretation of Ancient Egypt.
From bustling settlements along the River Nile to magnificent monuments, towering pyramids and ingenious inventions, teams will have the opportunity to showcase their understanding of history while developing valuable digital, communication and collaboration skills.
Why Enter?
Echoes of Egypt is more than a Minecraft building challenge. It’s an opportunity for pupils to turn their research and ideas into a creative digital project while developing skills that can be used far beyond the competition.
Through the challenge, pupils will:
- Research and explore Ancient Egypt and its history
- Develop their creativity and digital skills through Minecraft Education
- Work collaboratively to plan, design and build their ideas
- Use critical thinking and problem-solving to overcome challenges
- Develop communication skills by explaining and presenting their work
- Connect curriculum-linked learning with a fun and engaging digital experience
Minecraft Education provides a game-based learning environment where pupils can explore, create and collaborate, with opportunities to support learning across areas including history, STEM, literacy, numeracy and digital technologies.
Previous Dream Space competitions have shown just how much young people can achieve when they're given the opportunity to tackle real-world and curriculum-linked challenges through creative digital learning.
A Competition for More Learners
The 2026/27 competition is open to both primary and post-primary schools across the island of Ireland.
This year, the eligible age range has been extended to include older pupils, giving even more young people the chance to take part.
Northern Ireland:
- Primary 6-7
- Year 8-12
Republic of Ireland:
- 5th-6th Class
- 1st-3rd Year
New for 2026/27: Two Live Finals
For the first time, Echoes of Egypt will feature two separate live finals.
Post-Primary School Final
For finalists in Year 8-12 in Northern Ireland and 1st-3rd Year in the Republic of Ireland.
Primary School Final
For finalists in P6-P7 in Northern Ireland and 5th-6th Class in the Republic of Ireland.
Following the judging process, the highest-scoring teams in each category will be invited to Microsoft Dream Space at W5 LIFE to recreate elements of their build, present their ideas to a judging panel and compete to become the Echoes of Egypt Champion 2026/27.
The new format will give even more schools the opportunity to showcase their pupils’ creativity and celebrate the outstanding work taking place in classrooms across the island of Ireland.
Support for Teachers
We know that taking on a competition can be a big undertaking, so the Dream Space team will provide resources and guidance to help teachers support their pupils throughout the challenge.
Competition resources and important dates will be available to registered teams.
Whether your pupils are experienced Minecraft Education users or are discovering its possibilities for the first time, Echoes of Egypt offers an exciting opportunity to combine curriculum-linked learning with creativity, collaboration and digital skills.
Ready to Build History?
Whether your pupils are designing a thriving settlement on the banks of the Nile, constructing a magnificent pyramid or imagining Ancient Egypt through a modern lens, we can’t wait to see what they create.
Join us for Echoes of Egypt and bring one of history’s greatest civilisations to life, one block at a time.