The City of Calgary, in collaboration with Calgary Board of Education (CBE) and Minecraft Education is excited to bring back Level Up Calgary for Season 3: Parks and Portals! This student-driven civic engagement program utilizes the power of Minecraft Education for students to unleash their creativity and leave a lasting impression on the city.
In Season 3: Parks & Portals, students will have the chance to showcase their remarkable designs at two downtown locations: Haultain Park in the vibrant Beltline neighborhood, and the future underground 4th Street Station on the upcoming Green Line. During this creative adventure, students are encouraged to focus on either a portal, highlighting the seamless integration between underground and above-ground spaces, or demonstrating their ability to create safe, accessible, and inclusive public park space within Minecraft.
Mayor Jyoti Gondek expresses her enthusiasm for the upcoming season, stating, "Calgary is a city rich in diversity, creativity, and innovation. Through this competition, our young city-builders have the incredible platform to make their voices heard, creating accessible, equitable, and sustainable public spaces within Minecraft. These spaces will play a vital role in contributing to our city's social, economic, and climate resilience goals. I am eagerly looking forward to seeing the inspiring and impactful designs they will bring to life. Get ready to level up your skills and imagination!"
The Level Up Calgary Season 3 challenge will span 10 weeks, starting on Feb. 19. The deadline to submit a video of the design is April 26th, 2024. Students from all grade levels of the CBE and Rocky View Schools will have access to Minecraft Education through their school division's website. They can choose between Haultain Park or 4th Street Station to hone their digital and creative skills. Early Learning students will have a unique task at the Memorial Park Library. Each challenge site presents a specific question to guide students in their builds. Once completed, student builds will be reviewed by school districts before being vetted by a panel of experts from the City of Calgary, including leaders from the Indigenous community, CBE, and community representatives. Winning entries will be announced in early June,2024.
"In the last two years, we've seen Level Up Calgary evolve into a dynamic learning community for students. It encourages creativity and problem solving all while simulating real-world situations for students to apply theoretical knowledge in practical contexts", says Mike Nelson, Interim Superintendent of School Improvement, Calgary Board of Education. "Minecraft Education helps develop digital literacy skills, something that is increasingly important in today's technology-driven world. We've also seen how this immersive experience broadens perspectives and enhances cultural awareness and we are particularly excited for a new Indigenous component this season."
"We are excited that Level Up Calgary Season 3 is here! Each year, the students of Calgary delight us with creative and inventive designs for their community. This challenge is not only fun and engaging but also inspiring and empowering for the next generation of innovators," says Allison Matthews, Head of Minecraft Education, Mojang Studios.
Level Up Calgary, Canada's pioneering game-based learning platform, was initially launched in 2022. The first season attracted 12,000 students, resulting in 14 finalists and four winners. Season Two, held in 2023, expanded to include students from the Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD) and Rocky View Schools (RVS), alongside CBE students. Over 30,000 students took part, resulting in 19 exceptional winners out of 72 finalists.
Stay tuned for more information, please visit https://www.calgary.ca/levelup and join us on social media using the hashtag #LevelUpCalgary.
