In 1989, when Chris Wilson was seven years old, his parents purchased a computer and encouraged him to learn how to program it. They bought him all the books and resources he needed, and by the time he entered high school, he was a proficient coder with transferable skills across all his school subjects.

 

After graduating from university with an Honours degree in Computer Science, he started the game development studio Grinding Gear Games with his friends. They created Path of Exile, an online game that had global success, including winning a BAFTA (British Academy Award).

Chris was very privileged to have had access to a home computer, books, teachers and other resources, especially while at primary school. Chris and his partner Steph found that today's primary education lacks computer science resources and funding. Most primary schools do not offer coding classes, resulting in many students not having such easy access to the interesting and rewarding career paths that stem from learning to code.

 

In early 2023, these observations led Chris and Steph to consider what could be done to give less-fortunate children access to the same educational resources.

Funded by the Chris Wilson Charitable Trust, KeaCoding currently provides free weekly coding lessons to over 130 young children across three Auckland schools. By giving these children early exposure to coding, they are more likely to consider it as a career path in their future. Over the next few years, KeaCoding plans to expand to more schools across New Zealand.