The City of Calgary’s Resilient Calgary program celebrates the success of Level Up Season Two.
After a successful First Season, The City of Calgary’s Resilient Calgary program continues its collaboration with the Calgary Board of Education (CBE), the Calgary Public Library, and Microsoft Canada to bring the second installment of Level Up to Students at Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD) and Rocky View Schools (RVS).
This was the first Minecraft Education Edition challenge of its kind in Canada. Students created digital design solutions that could be recreated into real-life solutions. Superintendent of Schools for Rocky View Greg Luterbach was very pleased with the impact this had on students.
“Much like the Minecraft world, student creations show us that imagination, innovative spirit, problem-solving abilities, and technology skills have no limits. I’m proud of the hard work and thinking that went into building inclusive and sustainable spaces where everyone belongs. And the best part is, you had fun learning,” Greg Luterbach said.
“As one of the judges in this year’s competition, I’ve been blown away by the quality of the spaces you designed and the sustainable future you envision for Calgary and our region. Thank you to each student.”
Approximately 30,000 students from all grade levels participated, resulting in a total of 72 finalists. The judges evaluated the finalists’ submissions and selected 19 winners.
The program offers more than a normal educational experience. Students are encouraged to design dynamic and sustainable public spaces that celebrate diversity, foster equity, and create unity for all people in the city.
“The Level Up Calgary Minecraft Design challenge has changed the reality of teaching and learning in our city and across the globe. Level Up Calgary has inspired the way we consider student engagement and learning in a world that is shaped by digital technology and global information,” said Calgary Board of Education Superintendent of School Improvement, Joanne Pitman.
“In the world of Minecraft, students have collaborated with classmates, explored limitless creativity, and learned the importance of digital citizenship. They have accomplished all of this while exploring significant places in the city of Calgary.”
After the success of the first two seasons, other cities are looking to follow in Calgary’s footsteps by creating a similar program, with Los Angeles and Winnipeg being the first to launch a Level Up program in 2023. London, New York, Buenos Aires, and Toronto all have similar initiatives underway.
Student submissions will be displayed at the Calgary Public Library throughout the month of July. The Level Up Calgary Season Two awards ceremony can be watched at Calgary.ca.
