Connecting with our next generation - immersive activity in Wagga Wagga

An immersive experience using Minecraft Education’s game-based learning. Students explored a digital recreation of their neighbourhood and shared their ideas for a future renewal.

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Design of the activity

Children from a local primary school were able to have their say about the proposed renewal of the Tolland social housing estate in Wagga Wagga.

They worked together in Minecraft on a virtual Tolland. This included exploring the proposed road network and planned open space. They could ‘build’ what they thought would make their own neighbourhood a great place to live.

Participants in the activity

More than 200 students participated in the Minecraft Education game-based activity.

Outcomes of the activity

The children were able to connect with their neighbourhood in a new and exciting way. As active participants in the future planning of the place they live, the experience helped them bring their big ideas to life.

This activity encouraged the students to consider:

  • people’s different needs
  • city planning
  • types of housing
  • shared public and social spaces
  • the role of infrastructure
  • places that bring people together
  • facilities that support the community.

See this initiative come to life in our highlights video.

2:09

Connecting with Communities - Renewing Tolland

At Homes NSW, we believe all stakeholders should feel represented by the decisions we make. Through considered engagement and genuine collaboration, we aim to build...

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Video transcript

Connecting with Communities - Renewing Tolland

0:01

The LAHC team is in Wagga this week

0:04

facilitating a range of engagement activities

0:07

to help the community understand our proposal for renewing Tolland.

0:12

So we created this Minecraft education to give the children the information about

0:16

what is proposed, but also encourage them to have their say in a child friendly way

0:22

by building their ideas into the virtual Tolland

0:27

Today at school I played Minecraft, building stuff

0:32

that might be built in Tolland in the future.

0:36

Today we learnt that in Minecraft

0:39

with the Tolland renewal that

0:42

we're getting different people's opinions on how it should be built.

0:48

The Tolland community's really important to us

0:50

so our kids today, when they're building and creating in this world

0:54

they continue to grow their understanding

0:58

of what it takes to create a really strong community.

1:01

The level of engagement and the level of imagination

1:04

and the level of planning and excitement

1:05

is actually coming about because it's actually Tolland.

1:09

I think it was fun that we

1:11

got to build with our friends and build what we thought was right.

1:15

I think Tolland should have new houses

1:18

because the ones right now are looking pretty old.

1:22

We should put dog parks and playgrounds and different places

1:26

outside that you can spend time with family or friends.

1:30

The best part of all that, I think, which is in my opinion,

1:33

is the library, because I love reading.

1:37

Oh, look, I could almost cry.

1:39

Oh, I went in there before

1:41

Yeah, just the high levels of engagement and how excited they are.

1:44

They're all wanting to tell me what they're building and

1:46

you know, Tolland’s going to look pretty crazy if it was that version.

1:51

If I had a lot of

1:51

money, I would put it in like a petting zoo

1:54

with big baby animals.

Acknowledgements

Our sincere thanks to the students and teachers of Red Hill Public School.

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