Minecraft Education worlds educating young people on green skills are now available to all Minecraft users

Young people across the UK will have the opportunity to put their green skills to the test as Microsoft UK and The Crown Estate roll out their sustainability focused Minecraft Education worlds in the Minecraft Marketplace.

Microsoft UK and The Crown Estate’s sustainability education initiative includes two unique worlds designed to inspire the next generation of environmentalists and conservationists. ‘Offshore Wind Power Challenge’ teaches young people about the challenges of planning offshore wind farms and protecting the marine environment, whilst ‘Conservation Quest at Windsor Great Park’ is focused on developing conservation and ecology skills.

Launched for schools last year, the popular worlds are now live on Minecraft Marketplace making them available to any Minecraft player and opening up access for young people across the UK. The Crown Estate and Microsoft UK designed the worlds to help young people grow their knowledge and skills around climate change and the natural environment, and to consider careers in areas such as engineering, sustainability and conservation.

Rolling out the initiative beyond the classroom will now make the materials accessible to a much broader audience and encourage young people to learn about the growing world of offshore wind and the importance of biodiversity and conservation, along with their families.

In the ‘Offshore Wind Power Challenge’ players are challenged to power a coastal village by designing and building an offshore wind farm. This involves navigating the need to produce renewable energy, whilst balancing the demands of all other marine users including the impact on natural habitats.

The second world, based on Windsor Great Park, gives players the chance to be a conservation apprentice at one of the UK’s most renowned environmental and ecological sites. The park, which has a history stretching back over 1,000 years, is home to thousands of species of wildlife spanning approximately 4,500 acres. Players will have a unique opportunity to manage the ecological health of the historic park through the immersive world of Minecraft by completing a series of quests to learn about the water cycle, the aquatic food chain, conservation and environmental management.

Minecraft is the best-selling game of all time, with over 140 million monthly active users in 112 countries, and is especially popular with younger players.

For more information, please visit: https://www.thecrownestate.co.uk/about-us/minecraftedu