Parents sound off on STEMCraft!

Blockhead! Nerd! Geek!

On October 6, just down the street from the Philadelphia Zoo, those weren’t fighting words—they were rallying cries for the 700 Minecraft gamers and future scientists at STEMCraft 2018.

Including those gamers, their friends, siblings, and accompanying grown-ups, volunteers and passers-by, thousands gathered at School of the Future last week for our second annual Minecraft fundraiser in support of PCCY and STEM education in Philly public schools.

In addition to raising money to support our work and to bring much needed hi-tech learning tools to the District, we also raised some great cheer.

This week, we’re sharing some highlights and terrific feedback from attendees who responded to a survey.

(All quotes are from parents who submitted their comments anonymously.)

“[My son] loved everything. He loved that he could be creative and play with other people on Minecraft and learn different things from all of the vendors.”

By midday, classroom after classroom was filled with eager gamers looking to complete three challenges for fun prizes and Minecraft glory. Minecraft, a game where players can do anything they wish, including go on adventures or just build structures using colored and textured blocks, naturally lends itself to creative, collaborative play in a shared ‘world’ where players can interact with each other.

With that many kids at an event, tempers naturally flared. We were ready.

“One child was getting very frustrated and upset. The volunteers were very patient and worked with him until he was enjoying himself. Then, when he became defiant, they remained very calm and worked with him until he improved his attitude and demeanor. I really can’t express enough how impressive that was.”

And we can’t express our gratitude for every single one of the 200 volunteers that led our gaming sessions, swooped in to quickly fix technical issues, guided attendees to various activities, ran exhibitor tables and workshops.

We were also thrilled to have a number of School of the Future’s high schoolers volunteer their time, many of whom spoke with parents about their experiences at SOF, particularly those parents planning to send their children to SOF.  

“I’ve never seen so many organizations all participating together for a common cause. It was great to see, and my son had an awesome time.”

As we noted previously, our STEM fair included 30 organizations that worked hard to create fantastic, enriching experiences and they did not disappoint. From creeping tarantulas to mussel hatchery, Lego physics challenges to envisioning ideal habitats for animals, there was something for everyone, even coding workshops.   

“I found the cyber safety event for parents very informative and the speaker was phenomenal.”

While kids were busy gaming, building, exploring, STEMCraft included a full day of workshops and information sessions for parents on how they can secure the resources their child’s school needs, the dangers of toxic lead in aging homes, and a special presentation on cyber safety, courtesy the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office.  

“It was great fun. I loved the t-shirt activity and accessible price. There were a lot of fun activities. And I loved that Tracey Baptiste was there!!”

Headlining STEMCraft this year was New York Times bestselling author Tracey Baptiste, who wrote Minecraft: The Crash 和 The Jumbies series of fantasy books for young readers. Parents and kids were thrilled to meet her and have her sign their books; a lucky few event got to attend her writing workshop on how to write a book.

“My kids enjoyed this event so much! They have asked every day since…when is the next one.”

Finally, we’d like to thank every gamer who came to play and learn, all the grownups that brought them, our amazing army of tireless volunteers (many of whom put in a 14-hour day), and our generous sponsors, who made STEMCraft possible.

SPONSORS:
Fleming Tech Camps
PECO
Keystone First
Linode
IBEW 98
Meeting Tomorrow 
Mighty Engine
American Friends Services Committee
Kicks USA
Stradley Ronon
Laborers Union Local 57