NASEF, the US Embassy in Mexico, and the Benjamin Franklin Library and its American Spaces to award prizes to students who competed across Mexico 

(Orange County, CA – July 7, 2020) – Today, the winners of Mexico’s NASEF Minecraft COVID-19 Challenges were announced by the North America Scholastic Esports Federation (NASEF) in partnership with the US Embassy in Mexico, the Benjamin Franklin Library and its American Spaces across the country. 

The program launched on May 15, 2020, to engage students in Mexico and to connect their love for gaming with learning opportunities. More than 2,000 Mexican students registered to participate in the nation’s first ever Minecraft Covid-19 Challenge. For the last several weeks, students competed in an event that challenged their creativity, their imagination, their planning skills, and more. Student entrants ranged from grade three to grade 11, demonstrating the wide appeal of the competition. 

“The students’ designs were very thoughtful and demonstrated that, not only did they enjoy using Minecraft to build, they also considered the specific aspects of each challenge and learned about how COVID-19 is impacting various aspects of their community and lives,” said Gerald Solomon, founder of NASEF.

The winners are:

• Challenge #1: The House of My Dreams: students were told to demonstrate what the house of their dreams is by introducing new ideas, concepts, layouts, and visitor experiences.
• 1st Place: Carlos R.; Centro Educativo Pearson in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz
• 2nd Place: Francisco R.; CBTis 184 in Izucar De Matamoros, Puebla
• 3rd Place: Itzel G.; Academia Moderna, A. C. in Ecatepec De Morelos, Mexico
• Challenge #2: What is COVID-19? Students created an accurate model of the COVID-19 virus, and communicated how it functions (as a virus) and/or how it affects human beings who are infected with it.
• 1st Place: Kazuki A.; Liceo Mexicano Japonés in México, Distrito Federal
• 2nd Place: Catherine A.; Colegio Bilingüe Dos Naciones Unidas in Ciudad de México, Distrito Federal
• 3rd Place: Oria C.; CBTis N°60 in San Miguel de allende, Guanajuato
• Challenge #3: Inform the Public: Students designed a museum or library that would communicate useful information for the public about the outbreak.
• 1st Place: Victor B.; Cbtis 135 in H.matamoros, Tamaulipas
• 2nd Place: Luis E.; Khépani Tres Marías in Morelia, MIC
• 3rd Place: Denzel L.; Escuela Nacional Colegio de Ciencias y Humanidades Plantel Vallejo in Ciudad de México, Distrito Federal

NASEF awarded the following prizes by Challenge:

• First place will receive 30 Hyper X Headsets for their classroom and a special learning session with a top esports and STEAM expert.
• Second place will receive 20 Hyper X Headsets for their classroom and a special learning session with a top esports and STEAM expert.
• Third place will receive 10 Hyper X Headsets for their classroom and a special learning session with a top esports and STEAM expert.
• The top 50 students will receive virtual field trips to leading esports and technology companies for their classrooms.

The top 50 students are:

1. Juan Z.; imarc in Hermosillo, Sonora
2. Eduardo Jr R.; Miguel Hidalgo I Costilla in Jesus Carranza, Veracruz
3. Emilio C.; Secundaria general 111 Elias abandonó Vallarta in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, Jalisco
4. José B.; Cbtis 136 jojutla Morelos in Jojutla, Morelos
5. Juan T.; Escuela secundaria técnica número 74 in Puebla, Puebla
6. Hector S.; The Hills Institute in Monterrey, Nuevo León
7. Kevin H.; Escuela Preparatoria Regional de Apaxco in Apaxco de Ocampo, Mexico
8. Diego E.; 60 in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato
9. Mateo S.; Colegio Ciencias y Letras de Tepic in Tepic, Nayarit
10. Oria C.; CBTis N°60 in San Miguel de allende, Guanajuato
11. Rogel P.; Universidad Autonoma De La Laguna in Torreon, Coahuila
12. Alberto P.; Centro de Estudios Tecnologicos Industriales y de Servicios no. 35 in México, Mexico
13. Kazuki A.; Liceo Mexicano Japonés in México, Distrito Federal
14. Dante M.; Uschooler in San Nicolas de los Garza, Nuevo León
15. Javier M.; Homeschool in Ciudad de México, Distrito Federal
16. Dylan M.; Homeschool in San Nicolas de los Garza, Nuevo León
17. Royer T.; Centro De Bacjilletato Tecnologico Industrial Y De Servicios No. 253 in Chetumal, Quintana Roo
18. Sealtiel V.; Centro De Estudios Tecnologicos, Industrial Y De Servicios No. 23 Jose Vicente Villada in Lerma, Mexico
19. Isabella C.; Escuela Primaria "Venustiano Carranza" in Misantla, Veracruz
20. Luis A.; Centro de bachillerato tecnológico industrial y de servicio (CBTIS051) in Mazatlán, Sinaloa
21. María H.; Colegio México in Piedras Negras, Coahuila
22. Diego C.; LFM in CDMX, Distrito Federal
23. Christian R.; CETis 12 "Benito Juárez García" in Jiutepec, Morelos
24. Oliver P.; CEPAC Jalisco in Guadalajara, Jalisco
25. Jesús S.; CETis No.71 in Reynosa, Tamaulipas
26. Isael G.; CETis 18 in Mexicali, Baja California
27. Misael P.; Escuela Preparatoria No.18 in Guadalajara, Jalisco
28. Brenart M.; CBTis NO.8 in Pachuca, Hidalgo
29. Dam8qn C.; Centros De Estudio Tecnológico Mexicano-japones in Celaya, Guanajuato
30. Carlos R.; Centro Educativo Pearson in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz
31. Javier D.; CETis 146 in Rio Blanco, Veracruz
32. Francisco R.; CBTis 184 in izucar de matamoros, Puebla
33. Cesar S.; COARA in Matehuala, San Luis Potosí
34. Rafael N.; Centro de Bachillerato Tecnológico Industrial y de Servicios 114 in Juárez, Chihuahua
35. Andrés C.; CETIS 65 in Mexico, Mexico
36. David L.; Colegio Xavier Villaurrutia in Puebla, Puebla
37. Melquisideth L.; Colegio Emilio Rosenblueth in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas
38. Mauricio R.; CBTis60 in San miguel de allende, Guanajuato
39. Santiago M.; Escuela Secundaria Diurna No. 248 "Calmecac" in Cd. de México, Distrito Federal
40. Hector M.; Sec Gral Lic Benito Juarez in Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes
41. Alain M.; Rafaela Suárez in Colima, Colima
42. Juan T.; Escuela Secundaria Técnica Número 74 in Puebla, Puebla
43. Axel G.; CBTis 203 in Toluca, Mexico
44. Christian C.; CBTis 60 in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato
45. Alejandro G.; Colegio México del Sureste in Villahermosa, Tabasco
46. Endrick P.; Conalep in Merida, Yucatan
47. Julian C.; Universidad Autónoma De La Laguna in Torreón, Coahuila
48. Sergio V.; CBTis8 in Municipio Mineral de la Reforma, Hidalgo
49. Leonel N.; Great Union Institute in Ciudad de México, Distrito Federal
50. Luis A.; Centro De Bachillerato Tecnológico Industrial Y De Servicio (CBTIS051) in Mazatlán, Sinaloa

See the recording of the Facebook Live announcement of winners on NASEF's Facebook page.

NASEF is unique in the world of sports and esports because it doesn’t just focus on competitive gaming but also provides significant education on career and life skills at the same time. See how NASEF connects play to career pathways here.

NASEF is partnering with the US Embassy in Mexico, the Benjamin Franklin Library and its American Spaces across the country to bring those same benefits to students in Mexico. An immediate next step will be for students to enter the global Minecraft Masters competition. Teams of Minecraft builders from  countries around the world  will go head-to-head, testing their skills and creativity in this summer’s global challenge. 

About the North America Scholastic Esports Federation

The North America Scholastic Esports Federation is working to ensure that ALL students possess the knowledge and skills needed to be society’s game changers: educated, productive, and empathetic individuals. NASEF is on a mission to provide opportunities for ALL students to use esports as a platform to acquire critical communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills needed to thrive in work and in life. The Federation’s core values are intertwined through all aspects of education and play: learning, opportunity, community, diversity, and respect.

Learn more at the NASEF website. See matches streamed live on our Twitch channel, and join online conversations on Twitter @NASEFedu, Facebook, and Instagram.