Latest news with #AllisonMatthews
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘New Jax City': Jacksonville World in Minecraft Education, local Esport competition announced
The City of Jacksonville has launched 'New Jax City', a citywide Minecraft building challenge aimed at helping reimagine the city's public spaces and communities. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] New Jax City, a partnership between Minecraft Education, C40 Cities, Duval County Public Schools, and the City of Jacksonville, is open to all elementary school students within Duval County. We're thrilled to join select cities around the world in partnering with Minecraft Education to give students the chance to shape Jacksonville's future,' said Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan. 'While playing, students will learn from real city leaders and see how we work together to solve problems and build a better future for our city. I encourage all of our students to participate in the Challenge, which is designed to build pathways to STEM careers and civic leadership.' The challenge integrates STEM, urban planning, and student input that aims to help create a new vision for the city's future. 'We are excited to welcome students to the New Jax City Build Challenge 2025! This Minecraft Education challenge ignites creativity and inspires Duval County students to envision a more sustainable city for themselves and future generations. By collaborating with their peers, students can learn from each other, build new skills, and showcase their innovation to city leaders,' said Allison Matthews, Head of Minecraft Education. Jacksonville is one of the few cities to be featured in Minecraft Education. Parts of the city are available for students to explore, as well as key city leaders are available to encounter as NPCs throughout. 'We're excited to see Jacksonville's youth step up as creators and leaders, imagining a better, more sustainable city,' said Ashantae Green, Sustainability Manager for the City of Jacksonville. 'This initiative gives students the opportunity to learn about city plans and projects, and the platform to showcase their ideas.' The challenge will be followed by a virtual semi-final from April 14 to May 2, followed by the Mayor's Cup on May 20. See below a video of New Jax City, and click HERE to learn more about the competition. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Euronews
19-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
You can now tour the Vatican's St. Peter's Basilica in Minecraft
In a world where kids are consistently glued to their screens and Minecraft rules the digital playground, the Vatican is stepping up its game - literally. Vatican officials have unveiled "Peter is Here", a Minecraft-based video game that lets players explore the wonders of St. Peter's Basilica, all while learning about its artwork and history. The game, developed in collaboration with Microsoft's Minecraft Education programme, is part of the Vatican's jubilee year project, aimed at introducing younger generations to the treasures of its cultural heritage. 'Essentially within the video game, it is a 3D representation, or 3D re-building of St. Peter's Basilica, so you have a character in the game and you can walk through the hallways and explore the entire building. You can interact with the art pieces, the statues and the mosaics, and you can learn the history of each of those" explained Allison Matthews, the head of Minecraft Education at a press conference on Tuesday 18 March. Cardinal Mauro Gambetti took a moment to reassure the media that the project had been well underway before Pope Francis was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. "I imagine here, if Pope Francis were here, he would say you did well to think of this. Even the way in which he lives, the way he testifies to his faith right now says that our perspective is eternal and of eternity. So what we do now is proof that through fun we are in a certain sense, transported to another dimension." 'He's getting better,' Gambetti shared with a hopeful grin. 'We pray a lot and wait for him to come back. This is what we want." This is not the first time Minecraft has been used for educational purposes. Last year, UNITED24 recreated the famous Soledar salt mines within the game to spotlight Ukraine's ongoing conflict while raising crucial funds for the reconstruction of the Velyka Kostromka school, devastated by Russian attacks. A similar approach was taken in Fortnite by game designer Luc Bernard, who developed the platform's first educational Holocaust museum. This virtual museum allows players to explore key moments in history, from the efforts of Abdol Hossein Sardari - an Iranian diplomat who issued thousands of passports to Jews fleeing Nazi-occupied France - to the stories of LGBTQ+ Jews and the Black Panther tank battalion that helped liberate Jewish prisoners. Jewellery-making is one of the oldest art forms, passed down through generations. The National Museum of Kazakhstan showcases centuries of jewellery tradition, where pieces were not only decorative but also carried deep cultural and educational significance. Modern artisans have found ways to reimagine these traditions, shaping them to reflect contemporary Kazakh identity. While Berik Alibai is dedicated to preserving the ancient craft and passing it on, Meruert Orynbek creates bold, vibrant pieces that celebrate the national identity of Kazakh women. By striking a balance between heritage and modernity, both have transformed their craftsmanship into a thriving ethno-business.
