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Minecraft Education Challenge

Minecraft Education Battle of the Boroughs Challenge!

Over the past 12 months, our city has had to adapt as a result of Covid-19. As we move forward together, how might we redesign our city to reinvigorate and enhance the lives of New Yorkers? Your challenge is to design and build a solution in Minecraft: Education Edition that supports sustainable communities and reduces inequities for everyone; whether in your home borough, your neighborhood, or throughout New York City. 

Drawing from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the city’s OneNYC 2050 strategic plan, all NYC DOE students are invited to identify an issue and build a solution that will have a positive impact for New York City’s future. Think about how you might redesign a local community space to be more inclusive for people of all ages and abilities…or what you could design to re-think how the city can reduce car pollution and other carbon emissions?

For questions and support, email STEM@schools.nyc.gov. 

What is the Battle of the Boroughs?

Timeline

The Battle of the Boroughs Challenge launched Tuesday, April 13, 2021!

  • Part 1: Build a Better Tomorrow
    • Open to all DOE students
    • Submissions are due to Flipgrid
      • High School Deadline EXTENDED to: Friday, May 14, 2021
      • Elementary and Middle School Deadline: Friday, May 14, 2021
      • Build a Better Tomorrow! best submissions from each grade will be showcased in a Fliprid Mixtape in June 2021.
    • Announce high school Battle of the Boroughs teams: Friday, May 21, 2021
    • Announce middle school Battle of the Boroughs teams: Friday, May 28, 2021
  • Part 2: Battle of the Boroughs – Live-build eSports Competition 
    • Open to select middle and high school students based on judging of builds submitted for Part 1.
    • Battle of the Boroughs Competition: Tuesday, June 1 – Friday, June 11, 2021 (Stay tuned for live-build competition times coming soon!)

Join the Challenge to Build a Better Tomorrow for NYC!

The challenge is open to all NYC DOE students, but you must use your DOE student account to download Minecraft: Education Edition for FREE! Follow these steps to get started!

  1. Download Minecraft: Education Edition for Windows, Mac, iPad, and Chromebook.
  2. After you download the software, you will sign in using your NYCDOE student account.
  3. If you have a DOE issued iPad, the Minecraft app should already be on your device.
  4. If you have a school issued Chromebook (from 2019 or newer), you will need help from your school's technology teacher to download the software.

Next, begin your research by reviewing the SDGs and choose at least one SDG to focus your build. Check out these resources that will help with your research.

  • When thinking about New York City, either the whole city, your borough or neighborhood, spend some time reviewing our city's strategic plan, OneNYC 2050 for more specific information about the city. Consider how the city's strategic plan overlaps with the SDGs. 
  • Once you have access to Minecraft: Education Edition, open a new world using either a template world like Blocks of Grass or a Biome World.
  • Review the rubric before you start so you understand what the judges are looking for.
    • Part 1 builds will be judged using this rubric. Judges will add an additional rating to the builds with the highest scores from each grade to showcase the Best Pitch, Most Innovative, and Most Impactful.The rubric for Part 2 will be provided to students prior to the live esports competition.
  • Work on your submission and design a solution using blocks and items in Minecraft to address a pressing issue facing New York City.
  • Once you are ready to submit, each student (or team) should use Flipgrid to create a video touring their Minecraft build, with voiceover explaining their project. Make sure to include how your build addresses one of the SDGs and supports the needs of the community you are aiming to serve.
  • Submit your project through a Flipgrid screen recording that is no more than 1-minute and 30-seconds in length.