GRAVENHURST — Norm Miller knows Gravenhurst well, his father was born here and his mother died here. They’re buried at Lakeview Cemetery at the north end of town.

And, of course, he’s the MPP.

Last Thursday, he was at the Gravenhurst High School to learn more about the progress of an innovative technological and heritage initiative: the Minecraft Gravenhurst Project. And to see what’s being done with a $74,500 Seed grant given to the Parry Sound Muskoka Community Network (PMCN), a project the students have been involved with in digitally animating the historic and current designs of Gravenhurst using the popular game, Minecraft.

“I was very impressed by the work done by the students of Gravenhurst High Shool on this innovative project that will bring the history of Gravenhurst alive,” said a release from PMCN.

“The collaboration involved in this project illustrates to these students what can be achieved when people work together and also exposes them to digital skills that will help prepare them for the future.”

The Gravenhurst Minecraft Project is the result of a partnership between the Network and PMCN, working to find a way of engaging students who love Minecraft, and taking it to the next level by printing their creations using 3D printers.

In 2015, the Network raised funds from local businesses and organizations to buy a 3D printer and involved 20 students who were part of an after-school program at the Network offices.

The students were supervised by Jacki McPherson, who was  a teacher then at GHS and who now works for the school board.

The program was so successful, the school decided to run the program internally so students could participate at the school.

“The impact of this Ontario Trillium Foundation grant cannot be underestimated. This grant has allowed students to explore new and interesting ways to showcase the history of the town through 3D printing buildings in the downtown using digital tools,” said Stuart Morley, executive director, PMCN.

Funds from the grant are being used to help with the costs of buying 3-D printers, hosting workshops for parents and creating a campaign to promote the program, purchasing program materials and storage equipment, and helping with some administrative costs too.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations. OTF awarded more than $120 million to some 700 projects last year to build healthy and vibrant communities in Ontario. https://otf.ca/

For more information, contatct Morley 705-646-7722 or email him at stuart@pmcn.ca

FACT SHEET

Learn more about OTF’s Investment in Minecraft Gravenhurst

1. What is it?

A project for high school students to (1) develop a digital version of the history of Gravenhurst using the Minecraft software and (2) print some of the buildings in Gravenhurst using 3D printers.

2. Where did the idea come from?

It has been a partnership of three groups of people over the last three years. The first is the non profit in Gravenhurst called the Network and their Executive Director Graham Porter who is one of the few Gravenhurst High School grads who left Muskoka to see the world and then came back to build his technology business and give back to the community via his work with the Network. Graham’s vision is to trigger something amazing with students before they leave Gravenhurst so that one day when they are ready to settle down they remember that amazing insight and decide to make Muskoka their home.

Working with Stuart Morley from Parry Sound Muskoka Community Network (PMCN) the two hatched the idea of helping students, who love Minecraft, take it to the next level by printing their creations using 3D printers.

3. Who applied for the funding?

PMCN has as it’s mission to foster innovation in the community and had the resources to apply for $74,500 in seed funding for this project from Ontario Trillium Foundation with a letter of support from the school to carry out the work on a larger scale working closely with the archivists in town to animate the history of the town in Minecraft using some of the funding to purchase more powerful 3D printers. As part of this Ontario Trillium Foundation grant to PMCN, PMCN will also provide $5,000 towards the administration of the project that will be overseen by the Network at the Gravenhurst High School.

4. How will the community benefit?

As part of this program it is hoped the public and other schools will visit and based on the learning from this project, PMCN together with the Network hope to work with Trillium Lakeland School Board to roll this out to other schools supported with an application to Ontario Trillium Foundation for a three-year “Grow Grant.”