Meet Code Club Conductor Extraordinaire Michael Rill

Telstra Software Group's Michael Rill is a lot of things: a feminist an education enthusiast and a seasoned Code Club volunteer. 

It's a sunny day when I wander into Telstra's Melbourne HQ, but the reception I receive when I enter the Software Group's den is far warmer than even the brightest day in Victoria's capital city. In short, these guys love Code Club.

After exchanging formal introductions (the team and our offices in Sydney mainly interact over email and twitter) we sit right down and I can barely write fast enough to keep up with the soundbite-worthy sentiments he so candidly shares with me. 

How did you get involved with Code Club?
We started Code Club at Melbourne's Albert Park Primary in April teaching students from grade four and five. Code Club provides us with a curriculum that progresses from well-defined exercises teaching basics of coding towards open ended tasks, where children translate their own ideas into the most imaginative pieces of code. We couldn't be more excited about the results. 
Mind sharing an example of a success you saw while leading Code Club?
It's not just one instance, but rather an ongoing series of remarkable successes: The girl who marvels gleefully at the computer screen because it magically does what she programs it to do; or the cheeky boy who after some encouragement is now glued to the screen trying to find more elegant ways to code; or our favourite, the super-smart girl who found in Code Club a creative outlet, not only to channel her own creativity, but also in helping others.
So, what's next?
We look forward to continuing with Code Club, fueled by the excitement of the kids and encouraged by the positive feedback from the school and parents.

-Kelly Tagalan, Code Club Aus