Quezon City Students develop sustainable innovations in city’s C40 Minecraft Challenge 2023

Manila, Philippines, 27 November 2023 — The Quezon City Government through its Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Department (CCESD) has announced the three overall champions of the Quezon City C40 Minecraft Challenge. The competition, a collaboration between C40 Cities, Minecraft Education, and the Quezon City local government, invited K-12 public and private school students to design climate solutions for their city using Minecraft Education.

C40 Cities is a global network of nearly 100 mayors united in action to confront climate crisis. The Quezon City C40 Minecraft Challenge builds on C40 Cities’ Reinventing Cities initiative to stimulate sustainable development, and Minecraft Education’s platform, ultimately aiming to empower students to create a more sustainable future for Quezon City.

Minecraft Education is a game-based learning platform being implemented in the Philippines by the Department of Education, private schools and Microsoft Philippines. Minecraft Education aims to implement game-based learning and inspire more creativity and inclusive learning through play in classrooms. For the competition, public and private schools throughout Quezon City used the platform, giving participating students a customized virtual representation of the city to navigate and build in. This virtual QC even had in-game versions of city leaders and experts whom students could interact with during the competition.

“Through our collaboration with C40 Cities and Minecraft Education in launching the C40 Minecraft Challenge for our young innovators in Quezon City, we aim to further our whole-of-city approach to create a sustainable future for all,” said Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte. “We believe that it is more crucial than ever to give the youth, our next generation of innovators, the opportunity to help develop programs to protect the environment.”

The competition was open to all students in Quezon City, featuring three categories: Grade School, Junior High School and Senior High School. Participating students were given the task of reinventing the city with innovative solutions specific to a prominent road in Quezon City such as Agham Road, White Plains and Belfast Avenue. The goal was to build urban biodiversity, promote sustainable mobility, and improve public health in their selected area.

Each team was required to submit a short video and write-up describing their builds and how they addressed the challenges they were presented with. Fifteen finalists were selected out of 36 entries, who then pitched their sustainable solutions to a panel of judges which included Mayor Belmonte. The three overall champions are Old Balara Elementary School (Grade School Category), Ateneo de Manila Junior High School (Junior High School Category), and San Francisco High School (Senior High School Category).

The Overall Champions in the Grade School Category, Old Balara Elementary School proposed environment-friendly electric vehicles, solar-powered streetlights, advanced medical tools in hospitals, and recreational areas that promote sustainability and community well-being along Belfast Avenue in Fairview, Quezon City.

In the Junior High School Category, Ateneo de Manila Junior High students emerged as the Overall Champions. They showcased innovative designs for low-cost sustainable housing, enhanced transportation terminals, and efficient lighting and rainwater separation systems along Agham Road, Quezon City.

The Overall Champions in the Senior High School Category developed urban diversity solutions, smart traffic management, and smart drainage systems within Agham Road, Quezon City.

Special recognitions were also given to teams with the Most Impactful Proposal, Most Innovative Build, and Best Pitch.

The Quezon City C40 Minecraft Challenge serves as a powerful platform for students to unlock their potential and develop innovative solutions to positively impact their communities. By providing an immersive, game-based learning environment, Minecraft Education encourages young learners to think critically, collaborate effectively, and approach problem-solving with creativity. This competition not only empowers students to take an active role in addressing real-world challenges but also demonstrates the importance of nurturing the next generation of innovators who can shape a more sustainable and resilient future for their communities.

“Congratulations to Quezon City’s students for their remarkable innovation in the Schools Reinventing Cities program,” said Allison Matthews, Head of Minecraft Education. “We’re excited about the limitless potential of Minecraft Education to empower more youth across Quezon City and the Philippines. A brighter, sustainable future starts with youth!”

Clarissa Segismundo, a panelist and the Regional Industry Advisor for Education for Microsoft shared that the success of the Quezon City C40 Minecraft Challenge further solidifies the importance of collaboration between the public and private sectors in creating relevant education solutions for societal impact.

“Young learners deserve to have a platform that allows them to bring their most innovative ideas to life. By sharing the Minecraft Education platform with the Quezon City youth, we are able to promote creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving in an immersive digital environment. We worked closely with the DepEd, C40 Cities, the Minecraft Education team, and the Quezon City local government to ensure a seamless integration of our technology in the competition,” explained Segismundo. “The success and positive impact from this challenge only further establishes Microsoft’s dedication to fostering educational solutions that have a greater impact on the communities in which we operate in. We hope this opens more opportunities to collaborate with organizations and agencies that share our mission to empower Filipinos to achieve more.”

Further strengthening their partnership, Microsoft Philippines and the Quezon City government signed a Memorandum of Understanding this week. This collaboration aims to continue developing more innovative programs that will benefit all citizens of Quezon City.