Level Up Los Angeles
Level Up Los Angeles Esports Competition with Minecraft Education
Thank you to all the teams who participated in Level Up Los Angeles Season 3
and congratulations to the teams who are advancing to Level 2: Region Rumble!
Announcing Season 3 of Level Up Los Angeles! Join UTK-12 classrooms districtwide in an exciting two-level esports competition powered by Minecraft Education. Students will collaborate, compete, and innovate to design solutions that make Los Angeles more sustainable, all while building skills in social-emotional learning, literacy, numeracy, and financial literacy. Aligned with CA Common Core, NGSS, and ISTE Standards, this season’s project-based learning experience focuses on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, inspiring students to create inclusive, safe, resilient, and a sustainable future for Los Angeles.
Important Dates
- January 8 - March 5, 2025: Level 1 - Schools Reinventing Los Angeles (Asynchronous)
- Entries for Level 1 must be received by March 5, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.
- March 18, 2025: Level 1 - Finalists Announced
- March 26 - April 4, 2025: Level 2 - Region Rumble PLAYOFFs (Virtual)
- April 28 - May 2, 2025: Level 2 - Region Rumble SEMI-FINALs (Virtual)
- May 19-21, 2025: Level 2 - Region Rumble Elementary Division FINALS (Virtual)
- May 31, 2025 Level 2 - Region Rumble Elementary Division Awarding Ceremony
- May 31, 2025 Level 2 - Region Rumble Middle School and High School Division FINALs and Awarding Ceremony
Materials
- Level Up Los Angeles Toolkit
- Flyer ❘ Trailer | Website
- Educator Guide
- Student Guides ( UTK-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12)
- Student Resources
- Student Getting Started Video
- Level Up Los Angeles World File
- Rubrics
- Submission Form (LAUSD only)
LAUSD Schoology Course
LAUSD educators, join our Level Up Los Angeles Schoology Course to view information and receive the latest updates about the Minecraft Esports Competition. View information to join Schoology Course here.
The Challenge
- UTK-5 Elementary Prompt: Create a farm where you can grow food like carrots and corn, then set up a market to share and sell your food to community members!
- 6-12 High School Prompt: Design and plan a large-scale, public LA Digital Media Festival that celebrates the city’s vibrant technology and creative scene. Feature digital art displays, interactive tech installations, and local innovation showcases, while prioritizing sustainability and inclusivity. Manage the logistics, from selecting digital media creators and tech exhibitors to organizing interactive workshops and installations. Also create a plan to ensure the festival remains environmentally friendly by incorporating strategies for sustainable guest transportation, net-zero carbon emissions, zero waste, and eco-friendly event materials.
About Level 1 & Level 2
About Level 1: Schools Reinventing Los Angeles
Schools Reinventing Los Angeles is an extension of the Schools Reinventing Cities program in partnership between Minecraft Education and C40 Cities. The program empowers school students across the globe to propose solutions for a more sustainable and resilient urban future, and to share these ideas with their class, teachers and city leaders.
All students UTK-12 are invited to participate in Level 1 by building a solution to sustainable cities and communities in the Level Up Los Angeles Season 3 world. They are tasked to craft a three-minute video showcasing their solution to the prompt and submit their videos to be scored by a panel of judges. The top 4 teams from each region (North, East, South, West, XS) and division (Elementary (3-5), Middle School (6-8) and High School (9-12)), qualify to advance to Level 2: Region Rumble.
About Level 2: Region Rumble
Details and Qualifications
Level 1: Schools Reinventing Los Angeles
January 8 - March 5, 2025
- Details
- All LAUSD students UTK-12 can participate.
- Level 1 will be conducted virtually and asynchronously.
- Teams will submit a video showcasing their solutions via a Google Form. Videos must not exceed 3 minutes.
- Submissions will be scored using a predetermined rubric.
- The top four teams from each region (North, East, South, West, and XS) and division (Elementary: Grades 3-5, Middle School: Grades 6-8, and High School: Grades 9-12) will be selected based on their scores.
- These teams will be invited to advance to Level 2: Region Rumble.
- Qualifications:
- Teams must consist of 4 or 5 students from the same grade level to qualify for Level 2: Region Rumble.
- If a team of 4 is selected to advance, the school must recruit a fifth member to ensure fairness and consistency in the competition.
- All students participating must have a Publicity Authorization and Release Form on file at the school, which must be available upon request.
Level 2: Region Rumble
Playoffs: March 26 - April 4, 2025
- Details
- Teams advancing to the Region Rumble: Playoffs are selected based on their top scores from Level 1.
- Playoffs will be conducted virtually and synchronously.
- Teams will receive the prompt in advance.
- Each team must sign up for a designated time slot to complete their 30-minute build challenge and record their 3-minute presentation.
- Qualifications:
- Students in Grades 3-12 qualify to participate.
- Teams must consist of exactly 5 students, all from the same grade level.
- All students participating must have a Publicity Authorization and Release Form on file at the school, which must be available upon request.
Level 2: Region Rumble
Semi-Finals: April 28 - May 2, 2025
- Details
- Teams advancing to the Region Rumble: Semi-Finals are selected based on their top scores from Playoffs.
- Semi-Finals will be conducted virtually and synchronously.
- Teams will receive the prompt in advance.
- Each team must sign up for a designated time slot to complete their 30-minute build challenge and record their 3-minute presentation.
- Qualifications:
- Students in Grades 3-12 qualify to participate.
- Teams must consist of exactly 5 students, all from the same grade level.
- All students participating must have a Publicity Authorization and Release Form on file at the school, which must be available upon request.
Level 2: Region Rumble
Finals: May 19 - 21, 2025 (Elementary Division) | May 31, 2025 (Middle and High School Divisions)
- Details
- Teams advancing to the Region Rumble: Finals are selected based on their top scores from Semi-Playoffs.
- Elementary Division:
- Finals will take place virtually. Teams must sign up for a designated time slot to complete their 30-minute build challenge and record their 3-minute presentation.
- Elementary Division team designs will be presented at the in-person event, where champions will be announced.
- Middle and High School Divisions:
- Finals will be held in-person, where teams will compete, present their solutions live, and the champions will be announced.
- Attendance Requirements:
- Team coaches must accompany their students to the in-person event.
- If a team cannot attend the in-person event, their participation will be forfeited, and the next qualifying team will be invited to compete.
- Opportunities for Champions:
- Champions from the Level 2: Region Rumble Finals may have an opportunity to compete at the national level.
- Qualifications:
- Students in Grades 3-12 qualify to participate.
- Teams must consist of exactly 5 students, all from the same grade level.
- All students participating must have a Publicity Authorization and Release Form on file at the school, which must be available upon request.
About Level Up Los Angeles Esports Competition with Minecraft Education
Level Up Los Angeles Esports Competition with Minecraft Education, or Level Up Los Angeles, is an annual LAUSD esports competition for all students K-12. Students collaborate, compete, and reshape the future of Los Angeles in a build challenge focused on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Each region’s top submissions qualify to advance to Level 2: Region Rumble, a single elimination tournament concluding in the championships.
More Information
How to Participate in the Challenge
- All students and teachers have access to Minecraft Education and are invited to participate in the challenge. Teachers will have access to an educator’s guide, with accompanying Student Guide, Rubric and lesson materials for Social-Emotional Learning, Literacy and Numeracy, and ongoing professional learning sessions.
- Once you have access to Minecraft Education, download and open the Los Angeles world to start your challenge journey. Here, students will find in-game characters that will assist them on their journey before they start building.
- Review the rubric before you start so you understand what the judges are looking for.
- Submit your project through a video recording that is no more than 3-minutes in length and clearly explains the following:
- What climate issue is your team addressing?
- The research into the problem
- How your team designed your solution
- How your solution solves the issue your team selected
What is Minecraft Education?
Minecraft is an open-world game that promotes creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving in an immersive environment where the only limit is your imagination. Minecraft Education differs from the regular video game version as it is aimed for use in the classroom and contains features such as classroom mode and assessment tools that enable powerful learning experiences. To learn more about Minecraft Education in the classroom, watch this video.
What is C40 Cities?
C40 is a network of mayors of nearly 100 world-leading cities collaborating to deliver the urgent action needed right now to confront the climate crisis. Mayors of C40 cities are deploying a science-based and collaborative climate action to help the world limit global heating to 1.5°C and build healthy, equitable and resilient communities. To learn more about C40 Cities, watch this video.
What are SDGs?
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests. To learn more about SDGs, visit their homepage.
Get Started with Minecraft Education
Minecraft Education is available to all Los Angeles Unified students through their school student account.
- Open the Minecraft Education app
- Select Sign in
- Sign in with your LAUSD Single Sign on (SSO) email and password
Download the latest version of Minecraft Education on iPad, MacBook, or Chromebook. For technical support, please contact Information Technology Services (ITS) at lausd.org/its