For the past decade, Minecraft has been a huge hit among adults and kids, largely thanks to innovative ideas like the Minecraft Skin Editor. But evidently, there’s more to Minecraft than a pass time.
Statistics show there’s a huge gender gap in STEM careers. According to a 2019 U.S Census, women represented a meager 27 percent of STEM workers.
Female STEM professionals and organizations like Dell have turned to Minecraft to pique girls’ interest in STEM through gameplay. One such initiative is Girls Who Game, a partnership from Dell, Intel, and Microsoft. Through this program, girls can learn simple coding techniques by changing Minecraft skins, creating new worlds and moving characters through codes. Here’s how Minecraft is bringing girls into STEM careers.
Minecraft Fosters Creativity
Minecraft presents a world of opportunities for young and eager minds. Under the outdated appeal of the game lies the ability to build anything a student can imagine.
They can recreate places they know from the real or fictional worlds in books and movies or even create completely new places. The possibilities of creation are virtually endless. Using tools like the Minecraft skin editor 3D, Minecraft instills the belief that if students can imagine it, they can create it.
The catch is that the girls can only make these changes by coding, thus the beginning of their interest in STEM careers.
To give an idea of how expansive Minecraft can be in terms of creativity for the young mind, the winning team on Girls Who Game created a Minecraft world based around the oil and gas industry.
It Is a Tool for Bringing Girls Together
Minecraft is one of the most popular sandbox games ever built. Even though it is more than a decade old, it’s still one of the most played games with a new Minecraft skin editor app released regularly. The ability to change the parameters of the game keeps it fresh and keeps players attached to the game as they try to bring their imaginary world to life.
Through Minecraft, girls can learn coding. Tutors can present a tutorial that kids are familiar with and make them feel in their element. Some of these tutorials require the kids to create characters like Minecraft skin editor Steve and only control them using a series of programming-style commands.
By participating in these programs and initiatives, the girls can be meet and be mentored by women working in the STEM field. They can also meet and compete with other groups across the country. The ability to bring like-minded girls together is powerful. It provides educators with the opportunity to provide resources and opportunities to a larger, more interested group with higher chances of transition.
Triggering Interest
There’s a belief that the passion for STEM fields among girls is stifled through their childhood, mostly by stereotypes that convince girls and young women that positions in STEM aren’t meant for women.
The challenge among educators, key drivers and leaders in the STEM workforce has been how to trigger interest and get more girls interested in STEM. Obviously, new ways have been devised and one of them has been through Minecraft. A popular game among adults, children and even educators, it has provided a platform where everyone feels equal and can start a conversation without friction.
Initiatives like Girls Who Game have had massive success in getting girls to start thinking about STEM and discover they have the capacity to take up successful careers in STEM.
The best part is that these girls use simple and readily available tools like an online Minecraft skin editor for their creations. It is not only a learning experience for them, but also a realization of their skills, ability and interests.
Closing Remarks
Educators and leaders in the STEM field believe Minecraft is bringing girls into STEM careers. They are using the game as a springboard to trigger interest among girls and young women through a relatable and fun platform. The results are yet to be seen, but given how successful some of the programs have been, it’s safe to say there is potential, and the interest in STEM is growing among girls.