As the impacts of climate change worsen, NRMA Insurance (NRMA) has launched a custom-built Minecraft world to help Australians understand the significance of preparedness against climate disasters.
Climate Warriors, the new Minecraft world developed by Thinkerbell, is a free interactive game set in a custom-built landscape inspired by Australian coastal towns. It includes an array of Australian fauna, helicopter, mission control centre, emergency services, and Aussie institutions, such as a fish and chip shop, footy field, and a beach with the ubiquitous red and yellow flags.
Available on Minecraft Education Edition and Minecraft Marketplace, the game aims to educate children aged between seven and 12 on how preparedness can further protect wildlife, homes, and livelihoods against natural disasters. It uses NRMA's real-world data and climate change research to demonstrate that extreme weather events are already becoming more frequent and severe, with the global mean temperature expected to rise by another 1°C by 2035.
Commenting on the game, Thinkerbell executive creative thinker Paul Swann said: “Climate Warriors provides an immersive digital learning experience to help teach the next generation of Australians about the importance of climate change preparedness.
“Minecraft is a franchise kids know and love, and through the power of play, we want to capture their imagination and educate them on how to prepare for an increasingly unforeseeable future.”
According to AdNews, gamers learn how to be better prepared for natural disasters through a series of drills in Climate Warriors, including installing rooftop sprinklers onto a home to fight ember attacks, helicopter rescues in the NRMA Insurance chopper, testing building materials to withstand extreme temperatures, helping a community during a natural disaster emergency response, and saving wildlife from fire threat zones.
NRMA partnered with Stephen Elford, a Microsoft innovative educator expert and Minecraft global mentor, to develop a lesson plan and student worksheet as additional downloadable resources to help teachers incorporate “Climate Warriors” into their classrooms.
