ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) — There is a new campus location for Virginia Western Community College (VWCC), but you won’t find it on a map. Instead, you will have to look into the gaming world of Minecraft.
The virtual campus was created during the pandemic by the Gaming Club. This project helped keep students engaged during the pandemic but also helped them transition back to in-person learning. The members of the club spent nine months working on this project and made the final touches last fall.
“When students find a common goal and something that brings them together to work toward that goal, the results are amazing,” said Natasha Lee, Virginia Western’s student activities coordinator. “These students care about the campus, and this project gave them something to rally behind when they were getting burnt out from their normal.”
Besides helping with the transition, each student who participated had a specific role from architects to managing the logistics to communications. Lee says these skills will help students when they transition into the workplace.
“This week, a student in the Computer Science Club shared that he learns so much in club meetings that he is doing better in his classes this semester,” Lee said. “He finds the club is a place to learn in a creative way, and to collaborate with classmates. Clubs are an outstanding way to support our learning environment at Virginia Western.”
The student organization has about 20 students at the community college.
