Students of Old Balara Elementary School, Ateneo De Manila Junior High School and San Francisco High School emerged as the overall champion of the first-ever Quezon City Minecraft Challenge.
Launched in April, the QC Minecraft Challenge gives students an opportunity to design climate solutions for their city in Minecraft Education, a game-based learning platform, and to present their ideas to city leaders. It had three categories: Grades 4-6, Junior High School, and Senior High School.
The students were tasked to build innovative solutions that enhance biodiversity, promote sustainable mobility, and improve public health on the following roads: White Plains Avenue, Agham Road, and Belfast Avenue.
“We will continue to empower, involve and consider you in our decision-making process, not only because the youth are among the most vulnerable to the risks of climate change, but also because they have the most potential in developing solutions that will allow us to reach our environment and climate change goals,” Mayor Joy Belmonte said during the presentation and awarding ceremony.
Other category winners include Old Balara Elementary School (G4-G6 category), Jose P. Laurel High School (JHS category), and Leandro Locsin Integrated School (SHS category) for the Most Innovative Build.
Special Citation for the Most Impactful Proposal was also given to Villa Verde Elementary School (G4-G6 category), Ateneo De Manila Junior High School (JHS category), and San Bartolome High School (SHS category).
15th Avenue Elementary School (G4- G6 category), Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo High School (JHS category), and San Francisco High School (SHS category) meanwhile received the Special Citation for the Best Pitch.
Overall Team Champion from each classification received P30,000; Team Champion Moderator with P15,000; and Team Champion School with P15,000. Other finalists received 5,000 each.
Among the judges of the contest is Mayor Belmonte, Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Department (CCESD) Head Andrea Villaroman, Education Affairs Unit (EAU) Head Maricris Veloso, Clarissa Segismundo of Microsoft Philippines, and John Erwin Magno of Line Learning and Development Solutions.
The QC Minecraft Challenge was initiated by the CCESD as part of the Schools Reinventing Cities program, a collaboration between C40’s Reinventing Cities and Minecraft Education.
Using Minecraft Education, students selected by their schools created solutions to help reimagine, reconfigure, and revitalize city roads. Teams designed and built climate actions feasible for Quezon City such as expanding green spaces and the green corridor network; enhancing sustainable mobility; and improving air quality.
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