NJTL Trenton is utilizing Minecraft Education to design a whole new world. By combining Zoom with Minecraft Ed., students are challenged to complete tasks collaboratively. While immersed in a digital environment, students explore and construct solutions that require strong social connections. They may be asked to build a room, a home, or a school that supports and enriches the lives of the society and fosters a sense of belonging. The tasks are rich, varied and generate a social experience combined with meaningful interaction. Every task demands problem-solving and communication. Students need more than tech skills. Social-emotional skills are implemented as tools to build solutions and create new opportunities. This game-based learning keeps our students engaged while fostering confidence, self-awareness and leadership.  

Bob Loonie, NJTLT Executive Director, praised the Smith Family Foundation for its generous grant that enabled NJTLT to fund this program with the necessary equipment, software and teachers that has made it a success. “Our students are the future of greater Trenton and they certainly deserve every opportunity to learn," said Katherine Nunnally, Executive Director of the Smith Family Foundation. “We are happy to make a difference to our future.”