A big thank you to all who participated in Level Up: Winnipeg! Students worked incredibly hard to create meaningful projects for consideration by the City, supported by teachers and staff at school and by families and friends at home. LRSD accepted more than 300 submissions from collaborative groups and individuals, finishing with thousands of hours of work in Minecraft and countless more researching and refining ideas. 

Sample projects were showcased at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights on June 13, and the City is ecstatic with the results! Museum CEO Isha Khan brought greetings to the event hosted by Ace Burpee. Mayor Scott Gillingham addressed the crowd of students, teachers and media from around the province, celebrating the success of the project and the innovative ideas he and his team received. Max Kobe, a Grade 8 student from École George-McDowell shared his experience working on the Level Up: Winnipeg project on behalf of LRSD and his class.

"Downtown is worth our time and energy, and these ideas matter," said Karin Kliewer, a City Planner for Downtown Winnipeg. "Every project gives insight into what is important to students, what downtown should be known for in the future, and what we can do about it now."

These projects are part of a bigger picture for the downtown area as they will be included in the engagement process for CentrePlan 2050, the City's Downtown Plan. 

 "Students have been hard at work since this project began," said Karin. "They have re-imagined our downtown with PEOPLE in mind, and this is amazing to see. It's not always the exact thing you make, but it's the idea behind it, and these ideas are joyful, thoughtful, creative, and fun; and they show that students care about downtown's future."

Now that students have explored the Minecraft version of downtown Winnipeg, we hope that students explore downtown in person this summer.

LRSD student submissions brought forward ideas that included: greenhouses, basketball courts, facilities to address houselessness/ affordable housing, mixed-use business and residential (with a focus on including food, health, affordable housing, and recreation all in one), green space improvement projects (downtown gardens, forests, parks, trails), major grocery stores, sportsplexes (skatepark, basketball, floor hockey, volleyball), safe injection sites, mental health facilities, and tourist attractions. 

Congratulations to all who participated! Stay tuned for more collaborations with the City of Winnipeg, bringing student voices to civic projects!