During Bay District Schools’ spring break this year, some students chose not to take a break from learning.

The program aims to give students an opportunity to challenge themselves intellectually while playing popular video games.

“You’re dropped in a world and you have to build your way up through different tiers of building material,” Program Technician Robert Kustom said. 

The game gives players a large amount of creative freedom and challenges them to think outside of the box. 

“You can create things based on whatever your mind can perceive,” Kustom said. “It’s endless possibilities.” 

The students are using an educational version of the game, which they can’t otherwise access, and offers various additional new features. 

“In the Creative Menu, there’s other stuff that isn’t usually there, such as elements, which you can clearly see by the atomic symbols and letters,”  student Peyton Dozier said. 

Organizer Ginger Littleton said this is reflective of a growing evolution. 

“This is the new reality,” Littleton said. “This is the reality that these kids have grown up with. And these are the worlds that they live in. They create their own worlds. They discuss and compete with others, just like on the football field only. It’s a very cerebral activity.” 

Littleton said the skills the program helps cultivate are reflective of those required in today’s workforce.