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Building Future Creators: Deadly Coders x Minecraft Education in Australia Blog Post

05 May 2026 Students hold tablets showing Minecraft during a lesson.

Across Australia, First Nations students are growing up in communities rich in knowledge, culture, and storytelling. Yet in many regional and remote areas, access to the digital skills shaping future education and careers remains limited.

The Deadly Coders x Minecraft Education Program is working to change that. This national initiative brings AI literacy and digital skilling to more than 5,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary school students, helping them build foundational knowledge in AI, coding, and digital literacy.

Delivered through co-designed, culturally grounded, play-based learning using Minecraft Education, the program goes beyond teaching technology. It’s about building confidence, sparking creativity, and helping students see themselves not just as users of technology—but as creators.

Student smiling while sitting in a classroom.

A culturally grounded approach to AI literacy

The program is delivered by Deadly Coders, an Indigenous-owned and led nonprofit, in partnership with Minecraft Education and Microsoft ANZ, with support from Caprice Australia.

What sets this initiative apart is its strong cultural foundation. Learning experiences are designed around real-world themes students can connect to. AI and coding concepts are designed and delivered in a way that reflects students’ community, language, and connection to Country, guided by cultural protocols and prioritizing cultural safety.

As Grant Maher (CEO, Deadly Coders) puts it:

“This program connects emerging technology with traditional knowledge. We want students to see themselves not just as tech users, but as future tech leaders and creators.”

Teacher helps a student use a laptop in the classroom.

What students experience (and what they learn)

The program is designed to integrate seamlessly into schools. Sessions are typically delivered as structured 90-minute incursions, led by trained Deadly Coders facilitators and supported by partners, often Microsoft volunteers.

Using Minecraft Education AI Foundations content, students explore foundational concepts such as:

  • Understanding what AI is and where it appears in everyday life
  • Exploring how AI systems are trained and make predictions using data
  • Learning why human oversight matters in AI systems
  • Practicing safe and responsible AI use, including thinking about privacy, fairness, and bias
  • Applying creativity, collaboration, and computational thinking to solve real-world challenges

Students engage in interactive simulations and scenarios including sustainable farming, ocean and wildlife conservation, and environmental mapping and land care.

Throughout the experience, students are invited to reflect on questions that matter:

How can AI support community priorities? Where might it create challenges?

What does responsible technology look like when it’s grounded in culture and place?

Close-up of a Minecraft activity screen with an instruction window open.

Why this work matters

AI is changing how people learn, work, and participate in society. Building early AI literacy helps students not only understand technology; it helps them develop the skills to shape it.

This program demonstrates what’s possible when global technology platforms are guided by local cultural leadership. By centering First Nations perspectives, it creates learning experiences that are relevant, empowering, and future-focused—opening pathways into STEM and digital careers while strengthening cultural identity.

Educator and students sit together during a classroom discussion.

Partnership in action

The success of the program is built on strong, respectful partnerships. Deadly Coders, Minecraft Education, Microsoft ANZ, and Caprice Australia each play a clear role, working together toward a shared goal: expanding access to digital skills and long-term pathways into STEM careers while maintaining cultural integrity.

Get involved / learn more

Learn more about the Minecraft Education AI Foundations program here.

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