Home Our Poder Education Minecraft Honors Latino Leaders On Its First Latino-themed Game, LatinExplorers

Minecraft Honors Latino Leaders On Its First Latino-themed Game, LatinExplorers

Minecraft Honors Latino Leaders On Its First Latino-themed Game, LatinExplorers belatina latine
Credit: YouTube, LatinExplorers - Official Minecraft Trailer

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, Minecraft is teaching kids the importance of humanitarianism.

The Hispanic Heritage Foundation has partnered with Minecraft Education to create the first Latino-themed Minecraft game called LatinExplorers.

“Minecraft: Education Edition” LatinExplorers reimagines Latino leaders into endgame characters designed to encourage children to become leaders who strive to change the world. The three narrative categories the game explores are climate, community, and creativity. The game is specifically designed to teach young people how leaders in the Latino community can inspire them to take action in their own communities. 

“Minecraft is one of the games that we encourage our kids to play because they can explore, learn, and collaborate with other friends. We saw the opportunity to showcase real-world Hispanic heroes utilizing one of the world’s most popular games—and one in which my children love to play—to reach a new generation of leaders,” said Antonio Tijerino, President, and CEO of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation.

Minecraft promotes compassion in LatinExplorers

The recent events in Puerto Rico have been devastating for the island and the population living there. In an effort to encourage compassion for the situation, Minecraft has added a mission where players work hand in hand with a character based on real-life Cuban physician, Dr. Pedro José Greer. 

Dr. Pedro José Greer Jr. is the Founding Dean of the Roseman University Health Sciences College of Medicine. He was awarded a MacArthur “genius grant” in 1993, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009, and the Great Floridian Award in 2013.

In the game, players are given the opportunity to assist a community that has been affected by a hurricane.

This is an extraordinary experience as it gives kids insight into humanitarian efforts and what it takes to help those suffering from natural disasters. It’s impressive that Minecraft created missions based on life-saving assistance. 

 

“When a video game addresses social determinants of health and other challenges that Latinos face in this country, you know that a lot of thought was put into it,” said Lucia Zegarra, a healthcare provider.

Awareness of activism is included

The other two Latino characters featured are Dr. Eligio Garcia Serrano and Yehimi Cambron. 

Dr. Serrano specializes in climate change and monarch butterflies. Players will follow him throughout Michoacan, Mexico amidst a Day of the Dead celebration. Alongside Dr. Serrano, players will explore a local Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve and learn a little bit about why monarch butterflies are so important to the local culture and how to keep the species alive. 

Ms. Cambron is a muralist and activist who shares messages of social justice through her work. This part of the game places students in scenarios requiring them to make art observations while creatively exploring their feelings through their voice and art. 

If you don’t have “Minecraft: Education edition”, it’s available for a free trial, so go ahead and download it for your children – or even yourself! It’s a great opportunity for kids to engage in an educational activity where it teaches them how to build leadership and socio-emotional skills while having fun. 

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