The Camps and Clubs Update brings Minecraft: Education Edition to learners beyond the classroom

The past year has taught us that learning happens everywhere. Around the world, we’ve seen educators, families, and students using Minecraft to stay connected and learn remotely, so we’re expanding access to even more learning environments. For the first time ever, camps, clubs, after-school programs, nonprofits, homeschools, and other organizations can purchase licenses for Minecraft: Education Edition! This is your chance to bring game-based learning and immersive digital curriculum beyond the traditional classroom.

The Camps and Clubs Update introduces a new way to purchase Minecraft: Education Edition that’s open to anyone. All you’ll need to do is set up an Office 365 account and create an identity for your organization. Then you’re free to purchase individual licenses for the game, whether that’s for a summer STEM camp of Rube Goldberg machine builders or a living room full of hands-on homeschoolers.

We know that this is a new platform in many settings, so there’s plenty of support available to help you get started. Professional development resources and our global community of educators provide support on teaching with Minecraft, deployment, and program training. Hundreds of ready-to-teach lessons and build challenges empower you with free learning content—no experience required! Students can even learn computer science skills with in-game block-coding, JavaScript, and Python coding.

Some summer camps and after-school clubs have already been using Minecraft: Education Edition, and they’ve seen incredible engagement, collaboration, and creativity. In summer 2020, Fleming Tech Camps needed a solution for an all-virtual camp due to COVID-19 safety protocols. Find out how virtual game design and build challenges helped them save the summer for their students. Read how nonprofit Games for Change ran a national game design competition that encouraged students to build a better world. Learn about the ways that Girls Who Game is breaking barriers in the tech world by inspiring girls to pursue STEM.

In addition to expanding the availability of Minecraft: Education Edition, the Camps and Clubs Update includes exciting new features to support all users—in or out of the classroom. New features include:

• Embed a link to Flipgrid in your world and add a resource link to your topic.
• Launch Minecraft: Education Edition from your learning management system and add links to specific worlds.
• Share a link that takes users directly into your multiplayer world.
• Explore new construction worker and teacher skins for NPCs.

Learn more about the new classroom features we’ve added here.

We can’t wait to hear how your organization decides to use Minecraft to engage learners and inspire creativity! Take your first step today and get started with Minecraft: Education Edition here.

We’ll always be here for schools and classroom teachers as well! If you’re not using Minecraft: Education Edition at your school, learn how to purchase licenses and start your journey today.