Arcademy, an Israeli startup specializing in integrating gaming into school curriculums, will launch in schools across Israel and the United States next year following a successful trial.

The two-month-long trial program at nine schools in Petah Tikva registered positive feedback from both teachers and students, who used the platform for two to four hours a week. 

Teachers reported that students actively engaged in their lessons, displaying improved problem-solving, multitasking, and creativity skills. One teacher said the platform was “super easy” to use and helped transform learning into an interactive and immersive process.

“Expanding Arcademy to the US marks a significant milestone in our mission to revolutionize education through gaming,” said Arcademy founder and CEO Alex Gold.

Arcademy is first launching in American Jewish schools and then plans to expand to other schools as well. 

“By targeting the vibrant community of American Jews, we aim to blend cultural heritage with cutting-edge technology, fostering a unique learning environment that resonates with their values and aspirations.”  

Minecraft 

Launched in September 2023, Arcademy’s user-friendly platform seamlessly integrates with Minecraft, a popular sandbox video game. 

The platform provides teachers of grades K-12 with all the necessary tools and features needed to transform their classrooms through the medium of Minecraft Education, an educational version of the game designed for classroom use.

Although beneficial, Minecraft Education was previously reported to be difficult to use for those unfamiliar with the game. The Arcademy platform simplifies Minecraft Education’s interface for easy operation.

The platform enables teachers to utilize the game to plan the lessons, track and analyze student engagement and learning process in real time, as well as personalize the learning experience for each student.

It also ensures that educators have the critical insights needed to improve the performance of the students. 

Although focused on Minecraft, Arcademy’s platform can be integrated with other games as well. It is designed to be utilized both in the classroom and remotely. 

“We believe that by leveraging the immersive and interactive nature of computer games, we can create exceptional learning experiences that lead to outstanding outcomes,” added Gold. 

Before founding Arcademy, Gold led a project at Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem in which children constructed a Minecraft replica of the museum complex.