Students from Kilmoyle Primary School have been crowned the winners of Microsoft's Dream Space Minecraft Education competition.
The announcement comes after eight teams across five schools representing counties Antrim, Dublin, Louth and Tyrone, made it through to the final of the competition, which was held in Microsoft’s Dream Space STEM and AI education hub at W5 LIFE in Belfast.
The winners, the Coral Crew from Kilmoyle Primary School from Antrim, impressed judges with their ocean research vessel inspired by sea turtles, showcasing innovative conservation strategies. Kilmoyle Primary School also secured second place with their project The Sea Serpents, featuring a solar-powered research vessel with an aquarium and turtle hatching incubators.
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In third place was Rampark National School from Louth with their project The Submerged Scientists, which included a kinetic football pitch, a kinetic dance floor, and onboard composting systems, all designed to support their research on the Viper fish.
The “SEAcrets of the Deep” Dream Space competition, which was open to primary and post-primary schools across the island of Ireland, encouraged students to expand their knowledge about marine conservation and environmental science through the development of Minecraft projects focused on the marine world.
As part of the competition, students from Primary 6 to Year 10 in Northern Ireland and 5th class to 2nd Year in the Republic of Ireland were tasked with developing complex marine facilities within an immersive Minecraft world, including research vessels, scientific labs, and a submersible.
The competition, run in partnership with Belfast Harbour, not only fostered teamwork and enhanced creative thinking among the students but also showcased the educational value of Minecraft Education in the classroom. Students’ projects covered a range of marine topics, from deep-sea creatures like anglerfish and sea bunnies to the impact of pollution on ocean ecosystems.
Commenting on the competition Nigel Cunningham, Northern Ireland Lead at Microsoft, said: “Engaging young minds in real-world challenges through creative and immersive platforms can help to inspire greater engagement with STEM. The level of creativity and technical skills on display today by these students was outstanding. Through this competition, they have not only developed key STEM and problem-solving skills but have also deepened their understanding of marine conservation and sustainability. It’s fantastic to see young learners embrace STEM in such a hands-on and engaging way.
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“Through competitions like this and our broader AI and STEM educational initiatives delivered by Microsoft’s Dream Space team, we’re helping young people develop the skills that they’ll need for an AI powered future.
“Congratulations to students from Kilmoyle Primary School and all the competition participants for their outstanding contributions. We hope you continue to develop the skills that you learned and help shape the future of STEM across the island of Ireland."
Jeff Scott, Principal at Kilmoyle Primary School said:"We as a school are so proud of what the teams have achieved. As a small primary school, it is a tremendous achievement to take both first and second place in a competition with so many entries, particularly when also competing against secondary school aged teams. Praise must go to the teams for the effort they put into the research required to make their builds stand out and a huge thank you to Mrs Gaston, the class teacher, for the help and support she gave in preparing the teams for this final."
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Holly Steele a student from Kilmoyle Primary School said: “Participating in the Minecraft competition was a great experience. We all learned so much about marine life while working together as a team. It was amazing to see our ideas come to life in Minecraft and present them to the judges.”
The “SEAcrets of the Deep” competition is part of Microsoft Dream Space’s mission to inspire students and teachers to embrace STEM, digital literacy, and AI in education. Since launching in W5 LIFE in 2022, Dream Space has engaged more than 30,000 students and educators across Northern Ireland, equipping them with the skills needed to thrive in the digital economy.
To learn more about Microsoft Dream Space initiatives in Northern Ireland, visit: https://dreamspace.microsoft.com/en-us/dreamspace/ireland/w5
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