Kids Embrace the Energy Transition in Minecraft with 'Energy-Wiser' Campaign

The Finland's Energy-Wisest School (Suomen Energiaviisain koulu in Finnish) competition is encouraging elementary school students to view their built environment with a fresh perspective. The competition, organised in Minecraft, is a collaborative effort between Caverion, Microsoft, and the City of Oulu – the concept planning and execution is done by the creative agency Kurio. For the first time ever, children are being engaged through gaming to construct a more energy-smart local environment. The competition is open to all Finnish elementary school students starting from September 27, 2023.

Finland's Energy-Wisest School emerges from the need created by the energy transition. It helps children and young people understand the energy crisis and find sustainable solutions in their daily lives. At the same time, it seeks to ignite a spark of interest among young people for careers in the field. The competition aims to ensure that Finland continues to have skilled professionals in energy-efficient construction in the future.

The competition takes place in Microsoft's Minecraft Education gaming world, where children and young people build energy-smart school buildings. The gaming environment is tailored to align with the curriculum, providing participants with instructions and guidelines to utilize during the construction process.

The winners are announced in November

The Finland's Energy-Wisest School competition is taking place in Minecraft Education from September 27 to November 1, 2023. The competition duration is five weeks, and the buildings with their energy-efficient solutions will be presented at the end of the competition. Participants can work on their projects in a group of their choice, with any number of members. The winners will be selected by a panel of judges, including energy experts from Caverion, Microsoft's Edu team, and Minecraft enthusiast and YouTuber, Beata Rodas, also known as Paqpa. The best entries will be rewarded.

"We are delighted to launch this competition and create a learning experience together with our partners. It is natural for us to offer children and young people the opportunity to learn how to build an energy-smart local environment themselves", says Ville Tamminen, CEO of Caverion Finland. "We need skilled individuals to construct a more responsible environment. We are already in need of recruiting a new professional every day, and the pace is not slowing down."

"Energy-smart practices involve ecologically, economically, and socially sensible energy use, distribution, and production without compromising quality of life. Every day, as individuals, businesses, and society, we make decisions that contribute to energy efficiency", reflects Kaisa Korkala, Caverion's Head of Marketing & Communications in Finland.

Minecraft provides the ideal platform for creative learning

The competition and the accompanying learning experience take place within Minecraft Education, a version of the popular Minecraft game designed specifically for educational purposes. Minecraft Education licenses are available in nearly all municipalities in Finland.

"The goal of the competition is to inspire students to engage with energy-smart practices in a familiar and meaningful way. We hope that students unleash their creativity and find enthusiasm for energy-related matters", says Vesa Äyräs, Senior Account Executive at Microsoft.

The most important lessons in energy wisdom

The learning material has been developed in collaboration with energy experts from Caverion and Minecraft Education specialists from Microsoft. The pilot testing of the material has been conducted by the STEAM network of the Education and Cultural Services of the City of Oulu. The themes of the learning material have been selected to align with the latest curriculum.

"It has been great to be involved in designing this comprehensive package for all Finnish students and to make the knowledge and experiences we have gathered in STEAM pedagogy accessible to everyone", says Paula Vorne, Coordinator of STEAM in Oulu. "Building a sustainable future is a fundamental value in STEAM activities, and combining it with the engaging world of Minecraft will hopefully inspire a large number of children and young people to participate."

The learning experience has been created according to the principles of STEAM pedagogy. STEAM incorporates technology, science, and art as approaches to teaching self-directed learning, interpersonal skills, and critical thinking. Participants will learn about various methods of heat conservation, alternative energy production, and the possibilities offered by building automation.

Environmental responsibility and energy issues interest schoolchildren

Children and young people are known to be interested in the environment, and the energy crisis has only heightened this interest. According to a recent report by Sitra [1], the most important future aspiration for young people was keeping global warming below a 1.5-degree increase (37% of responses). When looking at all age groups, this concern ranked sixth on the list.

There is a demand for increased focus on environmental issues in schools. According to a global study conducted by Plan International, one in five young people considers climate change education to be weak. They desire more information about the climate crisis and how young people can participate in decision-making.

The energy crisis has also increased the interest of Finns in energy matters. According to a survey commissioned by Caruna, 73% of respondents state that their awareness of energy issues has increased in the past six months. Particularly, young people feel that their energy awareness has increased (80% of respondents aged 18 to 24).