MSA program: Get started

  • 7 minutes

Build your team

As you get started with your program, it's important to build a strong team. Each member will bring a unique skill set, passion, and expertise. You'll need these as you engage students, research and design outings, manage technology, communicate with parents, and navigate the world of Minecraft. There are several roles in the schools, the central office, and in information technology which are a natural fit to the Minecraft Student Ambassador (MSA) program. Of course, this list doesn't include all possible team members.  Some possible members of your team could include:

  • Classroom teachers
  • Computer Science teachers
  • Digital Learning specialists
  • Educational Technology specialists
  • Media Specialists
  • Instructional Coach
  • Information tech specialist

Illustration of Possible Members of your Team poster, text repeats the people presented in the text of this unit.

Establish your program

As you begin to establish or create your Minecraft Student Ambassador program think about the following (use the MSA OneNote Playbook provided for your notes):

Who: Who will be your intended participants for the Minecraft Student Ambassador program? Who will be your target audience to receive support from the Student Ambassadors? Who will assist you or co-sponsor the Minecraft Student Ambassador program with you? Who will you need to get approval from in your school or district to start a Minecraft Student Ambassador program? Who will you need to communicate with regarding the technology (devices) for the Minecraft Student Ambassadors to use?

What: What grade level will you allow to participate in the Minecraft Student Ambassador program? What types of events/programs in your school or district will the Student Ambassadors provide demos, training, support?

When: When will you start your program? When will you meet with the student ambassadors? When will you communicate to students about the Minecraft Student Ambassador program?

Where: Where will you meet? Will you have in-person meetings? Virtual meetings? Or a combination of both?

Why: Why are you engaging each staff member and what will they contribute?

How: How will you market the new program and how will you choose students to be included?

These sample questions can guide your planning process.

Illustration of Marketing your program poster repeating the questions to consider listed in this unit.

When will you meet with your Minecraft Student Ambassadors?

You may be considering when to host your Minecraft Student Ambassador Program and weighing the pros and cons of hosting meetings during the school day and after school. Both are great options.

Meet during school

There are several advantages to hosting your Minecraft Student Ambassador Program during school. This time period may allow more students to participate. Many children from elementary to high school have after-school responsibilities at home or may have to work small jobs. Having most of your activities during the day frees them to attend without conflict. An MSA program held during the school day may also mean that transportation and extra snacks and drinks aren't needed. Another positive is that sponsors won't have to work after school hours.

While the school day may be a great time for many students and sponsors, there are also some things to consider. Sponsors may feel constrained by time and may have to plan shorter activities. Because students are typically in class, at lunch, or in similar activities, it may be difficult to find convenient and overlapping times to meet with your ambassadors. Students may have difficulty attending consistently if they have conflicts. Your program may also be subject to the whims of changing school schedules, fire drills, school programs, etc.

Meet after school

Another great option is to hold meetings after school. After-school clubs are a great way to develop students in different areas and have similar advantages and things to consider. Many of your MSAs may be unoccupied during this time. One exciting component is that sponsors and ambassadors may be able to have longer meetings because there will be fewer time conflicts. This allows for more complex, lengthier builds, and more opportunities for students to collaborate. Sponsors may also be able to invite guests or include special activities.

Admittedly, the after-school time slot also has things to consider. Some students may not be able to attend consistently because of personal responsibilities at home, or the need to work at an after-school job. You'll also have to consider how students will get home and may need to consider transportation. Students may need permission to stay after school and guardians will certainly have to be kept up to date about your plans. Lastly, students will be hungry or thirsty and sponsors will need to plan for snacks and drinks.

Based on the individual needs of your school or district, you may choose to hold your MSA Program meetings either during the day or after school. Each option has things to consider.

Illustration summarizing the advantages and disadvantages of hosting times discussed in this unit.

MSA Program: School-based vs. district-wide

Once you've become a Minecraft Student Ambassador Sponsor, you may be wondering if you should have your program be an individual school-based program or a district-wide program.  There are pros and cons to both scenarios. These are considerations when deciding how and at what level you'll run your MSA program.

School-based

If you currently serve as a teacher, media specialist, or any other school-based level position, you may want to consider running your MSA program specifically for your school. This provides you with a direct pulse of what’s going on in your program.

Pros

  • Keep a pulse directly on what’s happening in your program.
  • As the MSA Sponsor, you can work directly with teachers in your school to identify students that may benefit from being in your MSA program.
  • Direct access to your students as they're located within your school.
  • Having MSA programs at various schools throughout your district widens the number of MSAs and the number of community events they're able to participate in.
  • You can collaborate with MSA sponsors at different schools to organize builds with students across the district. This helps build the communication and collaboration skills of your MSAs as they work with each other to create and problem-solve.
  • Students in your MSA program can continue through your program year after year until they transition to another school.

Cons

  • Diversity may be limited in your program depending on your school’s demographics.
  • You'll likely only have one grade level represented in your program (elementary, middle, or high).

Illustration summarizing the advantages and considerations of school-based MSA programs discussed in this unit.

District-wide

If you're a district-level employee (a digital learning specialist, educational technology specialist, etc.) your vantage point will be a little bit different than that of someone located at the local school level.

Pros

  • Engage more students at more schools.
  • Diversity is represented throughout your MSA program as you bring students from different schools together.
  • Different grade levels are represented (elementary, middle, and high).
  • Having a district-wide program may increase the reach of your MSA program (community events, district events, school events) because you may have access to a broader audience.

Cons

  • You'll have to depend on email or messaging for communication with your MSAs as you won’t have direct access to them.
  • Having a district-wide program may limit the number of events that your MSAs can attend because you may not have the capacity to attend them all.

No matter which route you decide to take, we know that your MSA program will be successful and will be filled with eager students that have a passion for Minecraft. Their passion and knowledge for Minecraft will make a difference for educators and their peers in a way that has a positive impact on teaching and learning practices for years to come.

Illustration summarizing the advantages and considerations of district-wide MSA programs discussed in this unit.

Illustration of Minecraft animals on grass.

MSA planning

Focus on SMART goals.

Illustration of a chalkboard graphic with S M A R T on colorful post-it note. SMART stands for: S - specific. M - measurable. A - achievable. R -realistic. T - timely.

Create SMART goals for your MSA program

Create S.M.A.R.T. goals may help you with the organization as you plan your Minecraft Student Ambassadors (MSA) program. Each letter of the acronym identifies an essential component of effective goal-setting. S.M.A.R.T. goals can help you clearly define the outcomes you want for your Minecraft Student Ambassador program. The letters in S.M.A.R.T. goals stand for: S - Smart, M - Measurable, A - Achievable, R - Realistic, and T - Time-Bound.

Questions to brainstorm with your team about your vision and outcomes for your MSA program

Specific

  • What do we want to accomplish?
  • Why do we want to accomplish this?
  • What are the requirements?
  • What are the constraints?

Measurable

  • How will we measure progress?
  • How will we know when the goal is accomplished?

Achievable

  • How can the goal be accomplished?
  • What are the logical steps we should take?

Relevant

  • Is this a worthwhile goal?
  • Is this the right time?
  • Do we have the necessary resources to accomplish this goal?
  • Is this goal in line with our long-term objectives?

Time-bound

  • How long will it take to accomplish this goal?
  • When is the completion of this goal due?
  • When am I going to work on this goal?