Builders of a Sustainable Future winners celebrated

The Builders of a Sustainable Future competition for primary and lower secondary school pupils began on Espoo Day, August 29, and the building period ended on October 31, 2025. The aim of the competition was to increase pupils’ awareness of sustainable development themes. The competition also introduced participants to game-based learning and the world of e-sports. Altogether, about 1,400 participants from 65 schools took part. A jury composed of multidisciplinary experts from the City of Espoo selected the winners from among the impressive worlds. The winning worlds were created by pupils from Niittykummun koulu, Jalavapuiston koulu, Friisilän koulu and Espoonlahden koulu. The winners were awarded on November 26 at the prize gala held at Kino Tapiola.

The competition had four categories: grades 1–2, grades 3–4, grades 5–6, and grades 7–9. Each age group was given its own sustainability goals to be built into a Minecraft world.

The winner of grades 1-2 was Jasper Saari, a second grader from Niittykummun koulu. According to the jury, Jasper’s work is an ambitious and creative city solution where the goals of sustainable development are excellently realized. Biodiversity, recycling, and responsible consumption were considered through innovative solutions such as mushroom houses and local farming. The appearance of the work is a beautiful and creative whole. The jury praised the Minecraft implementation, which required persistent effort. The victory came as a happy surprise for Jasper.

"I joined the competition because I like Minecraft and building. The most fun part was the amusement park and roller coaster I built. The most challenging part was constructing the recycling machine with redstone. I learned that small parts can build into big things," Jasper described.

The winner of grades 3-4 was class 4K from Jalavapuiston koulu with 25 pupils. The world built by the class was created as teamwork and is creative on many levels. The visual design was carefully planned and the Minecraft implementation technically skillful. The work presents sustainable school technologies such as automatic taps, solar energy, and robots. It also depicts a water treatment plant where bacteria purify water. The jury praised the fact that pupils’ well-being was also considered in the world.

"Our teacher noticed the competition announcement and asked if we wanted to participate, and that’s how it started. Since there are so many of us, we built our shared world in smaller groups focusing on different projects, such as building a daycare unit or a school. We succeeded well, in both planning and building together," explained Henry Nyamekyeh and Eelia Koponen from class 4K.

The winners of grades 5-6 were Luka Sonkamo, Nuutti Marin, and Lyydia Lu from class 6A at Friisilän koulu. According to the jury, the world built by these three classmates is clear, visually meticulous, and the portfolio excellent. The work presents solutions promoting sustainable development, such as hydrogen power and wooden construction. It also addresses health and well-being from different perspectives. Diverse sports facilities, recreation in nature, youth spaces, and mental well-being stood out. The Minecraft implementation was technically and artistically creative.

"This competition brought a nice change alongside normal studies. We also learned a lot about teamwork. The best part was building houses in the world and thinking through all the details. During the building process, we also learned how important spaces supporting mental health are, such as libraries, youth centers, and churches," said Luka, Lyydia, and Nuutti.

The winners of grades 7-9 were Veikko Litola, Aapo Kunnas and Joonatan Järvilehto from Espoonlahden koulu. Their work describes Espoo 100 years into the future. The world strongly emphasizes equality, humanity, and special needs. The work stands out with bold innovations for a sustainable future, such as a magnetic train and a molecular waste disintegrator. The appearance is colorful and radiates positive energy, humor, and community spirit. According to the jury, the Minecraft implementation is excellent.

"Our Espoo 100 years from now is equal, fair, and safe, where nature and other people are respected," said Veikko, Aapo, and Joonatan. At the award ceremony, Espoo’s Mayor Kai Mykkänen praised and interviewed the winners about their insightful energy solutions, such as sand batteries and solar energy reflected from the moon at night.

Director of Growth and Learning Merja Narvo-Akkola thanked all pupils in the city who participated in the competition for their active role in designing a sustainable Espoo.

"In today’s discussions, the focus is often on the harms of screen time, but for children and young people, how screens are used pedagogically is crucial. The Builders of a Sustainable Future competition is a good example of how technology, when used correctly, can be a great tool for learning," said Narvo-Akkola.

Watch the presentation videos of the amazing winning entries below.