Arlington Community Education

Ever wanted to craft diamonds from dirt, smelt up some bedrock, or add your own custom blocks? Modifications—or “mods”—are one of the coolest things about the Minecraft community. In this class we'll get you started using Java coding to write your own mods using the Forge API.

Unlock your creativity and become a Minecraft mastermind by engineering your own interactive escape room. Discover the secrets of redstone, Minecraft’s powerful circuit system, to build traps, locks, and hidden mechanisms. Design devious challenges and clever contraptions that will keep players guessing at every turn. Along the way, you’ll test your creations, collaborate with teammates, and fine-tune your designs—just like a professional engineer.

Design intricate 3D objects using BlocksCAD, a software program that combines 3D modeling with block-based coding. You’ll learn computer coding, graphing skills, and 3-dimensional design. By dragging and dropping blocks of editable code that create and modify 3D shapes, you’ll use problem-solving to build models that can then be exported to a 3D printer.

Love running obstacle courses in real life or video games? Create your own in Minecraft! Learn to design jaw-dropping courses that will amaze your friends and push your skills to new heights. Discover how to build bouncing platforms, set up pressure plates, create daring 60-foot jumps, and more. Challenge your creativity and push Minecraft’s physics to the limit as you construct the ultimate obstacle course.

Build and re-engineer components of everyday objects and recycled materials into your own cool inventions. We will engage in guided challenges to develop a working knowledge of physics concepts and engineering skills by making amazing gadgets to take home. We will design and build catapults, roller coasters, hydraulic lifters, periscopes, and more.

Minecraft is more than just a game—it’s a creative tool that allows players to design and experience feats of engineering, stunning structures, and epic works of art. We’ll visit fantasy worlds, travel to space, explore modern architecture, and more. Design and build your own architectural creations inspired by your exploration while learning the meaning of good digital citizenship and practicing teamwork.

Ready, set, takeoff! From paper airplanes to rockets, we’ll make all sorts of flying inventions while exploring aerodynamics and how things move through the air. Make, test, and reinvent catapults, kites, parachutes, and more, as we explore the laws of physics and the forces that keep objects afloat. This class will be just “plane” fun!