Minecraft Education Challenge in Valencia adds a Special Education category

The III Minecraft Education Challenge 2026-2027 has opened for applications, and its headline change is a dedicated Special Education category. diariodealicante.net reported that the regional government of Valencia, the Generalitat, announced the edition. The new strand is meant to let students with diverse needs and abilities take part on their own terms.

The contest asks school groups to build a virtual curriculum world in Minecraft Education, the classroom edition of the game, and present it as a finished project. It runs across the provinces of Alicante, Valencia and Castellón. Applications close on 22 November 2026.

What the new category changes

According to diariodealicante.net, the Special Education category allows worlds to be shaped around the students who build them. Projects should respect different paces, needs and abilities rather than follow a single template.

The stated goal is to widen access to innovative learning through projects that adapt to different contexts. The outlet describes this as the main novelty of the third edition, and says it broadens participation compared with earlier ones.

How the contest works

Students work in groups under a teacher's supervision. They can explore subject content through builds, virtual representations and activities tied to learning objectives. The finished digital environment is their entry.

The call lists seven categories: Technology, Computer Science, Biology and Geology, Mathematics, Geography and History, Art and Sports, and Special Education. One teacher can coordinate several groups across different categories. Each teacher may submit only one project per category.

The competition ends with a final event featuring 21 curriculum worlds. For territorial balance, organisers will preferentially pick one project per province in each of the seven categories. diariodealicante.net notes that the call does not guarantee an automatic place for any province.

Dates, training and recognition

1. The 9th

   Application period opens, as reported by diariodealicante.net

2. 22 Nov 2026

   Deadline for schools to submit applications

Registered teachers will receive specific training through the AULES platform. Their participation will also be certified as an educational innovation project, which gives formal recognition for the work.

The initiative is coordinated by the Directorate General for Innovation and Educational Inclusion, part of the Regional Ministry of Education, Culture and Universities. It sits within the Educational Innovation Service's wider push for new teaching practices and technology in schools. Skills the organisers highlight include problem-solving, creative thinking, digital competence and teamwork.

The platform behind the contest

Minecraft Education's own site says more than 40,000 school systems in 140 countries use it. Microsoft's learning documentation describes it as a game-based platform that ranges from basic building to coding with blocks, JavaScript and Python. It also hosts a library of hundreds of lesson plans made with educators.

Teachers can also use the Teach feature in Microsoft Copilot to generate lessons by grade level, topic and student needs. The Teachers' Lounge community and free on-demand courses are on offer too. The Microsoft Education Blog has recently promoted a Minecraft Education world called The First Night, which teaches how AI agents work. None of these sources link them to the Valencian contest, so they are background only.

What players and creators are saying

The material we reviewed contained no creator videos or community comments on this contest, so we cannot honestly report a mood yet. The announcement is regional and aimed at schools, which may explain the lack of wider chatter. We will add reactions if teachers or Minecraft Education creators weigh in.