Building the Microsoft Stores Minecraft Workshop
I Designed a Scalable, Inclusive “Computer Expert” Program That Reached Thousands of Students
As a Marketing Manager for Microsoft Stores, I owned the development of youth learning programs that helped students build real digital confidence through hands‑on experiences with Microsoft products and services. One of the programs I am most proud of is the Microsoft Store – Scout Computer Expert Workshop, which used Minecraft: Education Edition to teach foundational technical skills while supporting official badge requirements. It became a model for how retail environments can deliver meaningful learning at scale.
Situation
Before creating anything new, I conducted a nationwide review of online and in-person, educational workshops offered to students up to 12th grade. In my research, I learned that:
Workshops designed for boys (for example, Boy Scout sessions) leaned heavily toward hard technical skills such as programming and game design.
Workshops designed for girls often centered on soft‑skill themes such as teamwork or friendship.
This mattered because these workshops were often a student’s first structured technology experience outside school. If we unintentionally signaled that “tech skills” belonged to boys while girls observed from the sidelines, we risked reinforcing a narrative many girls spend years trying to unlearn.
I Designed a Scalable, Inclusive “Computer Expert” Program That Reached Thousands of Students
As a Marketing Manager for Microsoft Stores, I owned the development of youth learning programs that helped students build real digital confidence through hands‑on experiences with Microsoft products and services. One of the programs I am most proud of is the Microsoft Store – Scout Computer Expert Workshop, which used Minecraft: Education Edition to teach foundational technical skills while supporting official badge requirements. It became a model for how retail environments can deliver meaningful learning at scale.
Situation
Before creating anything new, I conducted a nationwide review of online and in-person, educational workshops offered to students up to 12th grade. In my research, I learned that:
Workshops designed for boys (for example, Boy Scout sessions) leaned heavily toward hard technical skills such as programming and game design.
Workshops designed for girls often centered on soft‑skill themes such as teamwork or friendship.
This mattered because these workshops were often a student’s first structured technology experience outside school. If we unintentionally signaled that “tech skills” belonged to boys while girls observed from the sidelines, we risked reinforcing a narrative many girls spend years trying to unlearn.
Task
My goal was to design workshops exclusively for hands-on learning withing Microsoft’s ~73 retail stores worldwide that:
Made Microsoft products and services feel approachable and useful.
Delivered a legitimate, badge‑aligned learning experience.
Scaled across all stores without adding operational complexity.
Removed barriers to participation so any youth group could benefit.
I wanted a model that was inclusive by design and grounded in real skill‑building.
Action
I translated my learning into a workshop that any store team could deliver with confidence. Key decisions included:
Writing gender‑neutral participant instructions. The content focused on skills rather than stereotypes, which allowed the same workshop to serve Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and any youth organization seeking digital literacy outcomes.
Creating train‑the‑trainer materials for all facilitators. I built guidance that enabled store teams to deliver the workshop effectively, even if they were not subject‑matter experts on day one.
Designing for flexible delivery while keeping access high. Some stores preferred separate sessions for boys and girls, and the materials supported that. The underlying model, however, kept the entry point simple so participation stayed high.
Connecting the learning to real Microsoft products without turning it into a sales pitch. Students used Minecraft: Education Edition to complete hands‑on activities that built confidence and capability. The focus remained on learning, not selling.
Building the program to scale globally. The content and facilitation model were designed for consistent execution across all Microsoft Stores, which at the time totaled approximately 73 locations.
Why This Work Was Personal
As a third‑generation Girl Scout and as a parent and troop leader, I understood how formative these early learning moments can be.
I have seen how quickly kids decide whether they “belong” in technology. Leading a program with the potential to reach tens of thousands of students each year was more than a professional milestone.
It was a responsibility I took seriously because I knew what a single technical win can unlock for a girl.
Enablement and Rollout
To ensure sustainability, I treated the program like a product launch. That meant:
Clear objectives
Easy‑to‑use materials
A delivery model that worked inside a busy retail environment
Providing ways for anyone at anytime to understand the story; why Microsoft was hosting these event, who we were trying to reach, then share the success of each student and store.
Store teams needed to understand what “good” looked like and deliver it consistently without rewriting the workshop. Where some programs introduce friction, extra prerequisites, complicated sign‑ups, or assumptions about prior experience, I moved in the opposite direction. The workshop needed to feel welcoming, hands‑on, and achievable for first‑time learners to build trust with families, troop leaders, and students.
Result
The final program delivered a scalable, equitable learning experience inside a retail setting. Students left with practical skills, increased confidence, and completed badge requirements. Store teams gained a repeatable, high‑value community program that strengthened local relationships and showcased Microsoft products as tools for learning.
While I do not have a single verified global participation total, the potential reach was significant. Using typical workshop capacity (about 10–20 students per session) and a conservative adoption rate of one session per store per week, the annual impact increases substantially. At that pace, the program could reach an estimated 38,000–76,000 students each year. Stores that ran multiple sessions per week or hosted larger troop events would push the total even higher, which demonstrates how powerful a simple, scalable workshop model can be when every location has the ability to deliver it consistently.
For Microsoft, the most lasting outcome was a community program that connected learning, trust, and product familiarity without relying on gendered assumptions about who belongs in tech while increasing store traffic and thus, sales.
What I Learned
Equity works best when it’s the default. The fastest way to increase participation is to design the experience so it does not assume a gender.
Data keeps the conversation objective. Starting with store insights made the case for change clear and actionable.
Scale depends on simplicity. Train‑the‑trainer materials and facilitation standards matter as much as the content itself.
Kids remember how learning felt. When a workshop is hands‑on and welcoming, it becomes an identity moment: I can do this.
I am grateful I had the opportunity to build this program at the intersection of community, technology, and youth empowerment.
The experience continues to shape how I think about inclusive design, scalable learning models, and the small moments that help students see themselves in tech. I enjoy sharing what worked, what I refined along the way, and how thoughtful program design can create learning environments that welcome everyone.