Reimagining our community on Minecraft
Children use popular online game to improve their route to school as part of project to create much healthier neighbourhoods
PRIMARY pupils are using Minecraft to improve their walk to school on a busy road.
The 10 budding designers are working on a project to make their community safer and more pleasant.
The children, from St Philomena’s Primary School and Enhanced Nurture Provision, live in an area of high deprivation in north-east Glasgow.
Their Minecraft redesign is part of the “Flourishing Molendinar” community project that aims to create healthier and greener neighbourhoods led by St Paul’s Youth Forum, which has been nominated for the Learning for Sustainability Awards, run by Education Scotland and the Daily Record.
Depute head teacher Adele Flynn said: “I’m so proud of the children – they have come up with some really exciting ideas to regenerate our community.
“They have used a faithful recreation of the school and local area within Minecraft to create a virtual setting of how they would like to develop their local community. This includes making a busy road to school safer for walking and cycling.”
The project, supported by Sustrans Scotland, a cycling and walking charity, asked the children to find ways to design a space that would enable people to spend more time outdoors.
“They suggested some local food growing spaces as part of their design, with free fruit and vegetables for those from low-income households,” added Adele.
“They also came up with ideas to make the spaces safer, cleaner and more beautiful to encourage locals to walk and cycle more to get around.
“Ideas included better lighting and road signs, the street being closed to traffic for play, a treehouse and a memorial to those lost to Covid.”
The P5 and P6 pupils, including children with additional needs, were asked to apply to the project as if for a job.
“The concept of pupils undertaking a job role was a theme throughout the project with name badges, clipboards and hi-vis vests.”
The Minecraft project was co-designed and co-facilitated by Scottish Charity A Place in Childhood, in collaboration with pupils and staff from St Philomena’s Primary School.
Ben Raw of St Paul’s Youth Forum said: “Through partnerships and innovative approaches like this, we can enable young people to re-see and re-imagine their communities, creating climateresilient neighbourhoods that allow people not only to survive but to thrive and flourish in one of the most economically deprived areas of the country. “The regeneration project gives the community and its children the chance to be resilient and sustainable as we move towards a carbon neutral society. “The designs will go out to their community for consultation and there is a strong hope that their proposal will influence the ultimate design.” St Paul’s Youth Forum has been nominated in the Community Learning and Development category of the Learning for Sustainability Awards, which highlight the work being undertaken in schools and celebrate Scottish education and the commitment of teachers, pupils, and volunteers to environmental and social justice issues.
“The project has allowed our pupils’ voices to be heard within their local community.
“This unique approach has allowed the children to develop their skills for learning, life and work in the real world and in a virtual setting” said Adele.
“I’m delighted for the children that the project has been nominated as they have worked so hard and with such enthusiasm.”
Nominations will close on September 12.
Winners will be announced in the Record, online and in the paper, on October 27.