JOIN THE 2024 BATTLE OF THE BOROUGHS
MINECRAFT BUILD CHALLENGE!
In partnership with Minecraft Education and C40’s Reinventing Cities initiative, Battle of the Boroughs (BOTB) is a three-round scholastic K-12 elimination-style esports competition. BOTB is designed to engage our young New Yorkers in shaping the future of their city. Building on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the City’s OneNYC 2050 strategic plan, and the Mayor’s Digital Gaming Initiative, student teams will compete to create the most inclusive future-ready city spaces.
Check out this recap from the 2023 Finals
2024 Battle of the Boroughs Minecraft Education
QUICKLINKS
Round 1 Support
Student Guide | Student Guide Slide Deck | Teacher Guide | Teacher Guide Slide Deck | Download Minecraft Education | Download the NYCDOE Reinventing Cities World | Flip Video Walkthrough Guide | Round 1 Submission Form | Round 1 Form Submission Walkthrough | Round 1 Rubric
Time to submit your team’s build for a chance to compete in a live, in-person Esports competition to become your borough’s champions! Borough Championship teams will move on to compete in the citywide Mayor’s Cup Championship Finals!
Teams of no more than five students must first submit their builds by responding to the following prompt:
HOW CAN WE REPURPOSE NEW YORK CITY SPACES TO CREATE A SUSTAINABLE, INCLUSIVE, AND FUTURE-READY CITY? WHAT ARE YOUR IDEAS TO CHANGE THE KINGSBRIDGE ARMORY TO BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY?
Use one or all of the focus areas to guide you:
- Community Garden/Market: We need healthy meals and places to learn about creating a healthy environment.
- Cultural Spaces: We need spaces to learn and connect to our history and culture. These can include art and museum spaces or areas for community cultural organizations to connect, grow, and share their history with the broader community.
- Community Centers: Whether after-school programs for youth or seniors, spaces for exercise, or places to connect, we want to make sure the space serves the full needs of the area’s families and communities.
- Entrepreneurship: Local businesses and owners need space to create jobs and opportunities for the whole community to flourish. Beyond that job training and career development for both new and returning workers will further that effort.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN ROUND 1 OF THE CHALLENGE
- To speed up the application process: Ensure that student teams are ready to submit the link to their final build Flip videos. You will need the student team name, names of students, and the final build link to complete your Round 1 BOTB submission. Review a PDF preview of the submission form here. The live form can be found here.
- Student Teams: You will need to have an adult at your school submit your build walkthrough video using this form.
- School-based Staff: You will review and submit student team builds and submit using this form.
GUIDELINES & CHECKLIST
- Review the 2024 Battle of the Boroughs Student Guide.
- You can access the NYC World in the New & Featured section of the game. You can also find it in the library in the sustainability section. In addition, you can directly download the 2024 Battle of the Boroughs Minecraft World.
- Load the world using Minecraft Education and explore the different spaces, taking care to meet the different city officials and representatives who can give you more information.
- In the final world location, you will be led to the build plate where you can begin to build your challenge solution.
- Use the 2024 Battle of the Boroughs Teacher Guide to get more specific information to support you in your build.
- Review the rubric and the challenge prompt before you start so you understand what the judges are looking for.
- Work on your challenge submission and design a solution using blocks, items, characters, and/or coding in Minecraft.
- Once you are ready to submit, you (and your teammates) will use Microsoft Flip to create a video tour of your Minecraft build, with a voiceover explaining your project.
- Submit your project through a Flip screen recording that is no more than 2 minutes in length by March 1st. Please make sure to use your @nycstudents.net email address that was assigned to you by the NYCDOE to submit your recording on Flip. (If you do not know what your @nycstudents.net email address is, ask your teacher or an adult at your school so that they can assist you.)
- Teachers: You will also submit your student video information in the Team Submission Form.
- Check out these tips for using Flipgrid including other options to enhance your video.
COMPETITION TIMELINE
Round 1 Submission process
November - March: Student teams create and school staff submit builds responding to the 2024 Minecraft Build Challenge Prompt
March: Student team submissions are reviewed by NYC Public Schools Central Staff according to a specific rubric. Selected teams will be contacted to participate in live events.
Round 2 Borough Qualifying Rounds & Semi-Finals
April - May: Select teams accompanied by their advisors will compete in live, in-person esports Battles in their boroughs. Families and community members are invited to join and support! Borough Championship teams will prevail!
Round 3 Battle of the Boroughs Mayor’s Cup Finals
June: Borough Champions accompanied by their advisors will compete for the citywide Mayor’s Cup alongside a Video Game Industry Education, Community & Careers Opportunities Expo featuring the chance to engage with industry professionals, community organizations, and other leaders in the NYC Video Game Industry! Families and community members are invited to join and support!
