The Atlanta Public Schools Department of Instructional Technology announced on May 25 the winners of the 2025-2026 Level Up Atlanta Student Minecraft Challenge, a collaborative initiative with the Mayor’s Office of the City of Atlanta.
The challenge invited students to reimagine and redesign key areas of Atlanta using Minecraft Education Edition. Participants were asked to address two focus areas from a lesson plan: connecting diverse neighborhoods, revitalizing historic areas, combating food insecurity, or designing new green spaces for a unified city.
Winning projects were selected for their creativity and understanding of urban development. In the elementary school category, Ezekiel Wetendorf as well as Leona Gray and Anna Claire Coleman from Drew Charter School were recognized. Middle school winners included Joao Spencer and Ward Ramby; John Hutchinson and Kayla El-Deiry; and Moses Tolochko and Miles Oki, all from Howard Middle School. Destiny Jackson and Nia Diaz from Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy High School won in the high school category.
The Department said students were encouraged “to think critically about their city and propose creative, connected, equitable, and sustainable solutions for the future.” According to APS, “the winning projects demonstrated remarkable creativity and a deep understanding of urban development.”
APS congratulated all participating students for their work in envisioning improvements for Atlanta.
