Innovative Minecraft competition for young people to influence Cardiff redesign
21 January 2021
The School of Computer Science and Informatics is providing children and young people with an exciting opportunity to help shape the future of Cardiff by using a virtual game platform.
Working in partnership with Cardiff Council, ‘Craft Your City’ is a Child Friendly Cardiff initiative which aims to engage young people in a range of strategic developments by using Minecraft Education.
Minecraft Education is a multi-platform video game which enhances creativity, problem-solving, self-direction, collaboration, and other life skills which uses building blocks, resources discovered on the site and the users own creativity.
Developed by Cardiff University’s School of Computer Science and Informatics and Cardiff’s Education Service, the digital approach sets a series of real-world challenges and provides a way for young people to share their ideas of how they would like Cardiff to look in the future.
The initiative launches this week with a competition inviting school aged children to redesign an area of land located behind the National Museum in the heart of the city centre, with the winner influencing the repurposing of the land.
Entrants will be provided with a geographically accurate representation of the site in which young people can create their own worlds and experiences, with a focus on preserving and promoting green spaces.
Dr Catherine Teehan, Lecturer and Placements and Employability lead at the School of Computer Science and Informatics said: “We have been working as part of the Techncocamps programme at for the last seven years and have a dedicated outreach team who are committed to providing support and resources for digital education across South East Wales.
“We are really excited to be a part of this innovative initiative in our home city and using game-based learning to engage with a wide range of children and young people.”
Technocamps is a Welsh Government funded initiative which has seen the School establish an outreach team which now includes more than 120 student STEM Ambassadors who deliver workshops to school children and the local community.
