GitHub Campus Advisor program updated

GitHub has launched new updates to the GitHub Campus Advisor program, making entrance easier while still providing extensive training and support.

The free program aims to build a community for STEAM educators who are working to close the gap between the industry and academia. 

GitHub Campus Advisors are teachers who are enthusiastic about teaching with Git and GitHub.

“Whether or not they come from a technical background, they’re deeply passionate about technology and sharing what they know with others.

“Launched in 2018, we’ve seen the program grow and reach a global audience of more than 50 countries and hundreds of teachers. As we look to advance the need for the next generation of educators, we’re seeing that many teachers are already familiar with Git and GitHub, so we no longer require teachers to complete the training for the program,” says Arelia Jones, Developer Program Manager of GitHub Education.

Campus Advisors introduce version control – a system that records changes to a file or files over time so you can recall specific versions later – to students in all fields, both technical and otherwise. Understanding version control is an essential skill, whether you’re a STEM professional or interacting with one.

GitHub Campus Advisors encourage colleagues to teach with Git and GitHub, so that students everywhere have access to these skill sets. Campus Advisors receive special invitations to educational conferences and meetups around the world, in addition to other benefits.

A cornerstone of the program when it launched almost three years ago was Campus Advisor training. Self-paced training helped teachers learn how to use Git and GitHub in their schools and introduced them to GitHub Classroom, 272 teachers from 50 countries went on to become Campus Advisors.

The program is now evolving, and pre-application training will no longer be required for Campus Advisors, though GitHub will continue to train and support teachers.

“The application process is more streamlined and helps identify the best teachers for the job. While the current process requires each applicant to do training before their official interview, we’re instead looking for teachers who already love and use GitHub and are ready to start teaching and supporting other teachers right away,” Jones says.

Campus Advisors work across various subject matters two Australian members are Barry Parker at Dominic College (Glenorchy, Tasmania), coaches a FIRST Robotics team and Guy Flaherty at Xavier College (Kew, Victoria), who has vast experience in technology, and leverages his experience to support the Learning Data and Insight department.

“We do see that Campus Advisors are eager to share their experiences and the resources they’ve acquired, in addition to teachers who’d like tips and advice about how to use GitHub in their classrooms. So we’re excited to announce that we’re opening the doors to more knowledge sharing—recruiting Campus Advisors who can demonstrate that they’re familiar with GitHub and connecting them with Campus Advisors who are new to GitHub. This ensures that educators and their students have the confidence, resources and support to learn and teach STEAM,” says Jones.

GitHub Campus Advisors are supported to provide remote and remote-hybrid instruction, including:

• New touchpoints for teachers to connect with one another and build on shared knowledge and best practices.
• New levels of involvement whether teachers are focused on teaching, interested in enabling campus-wide access GitHub Education benefits, and/or have an appetite to speak at events and conferences. 
• Existing benefits include event support on campus (including virtual events), early access to new education features and materials, and special invitations to educational conferences and meetups around the world.
• Streamlined application processes.

For students with GitHub Campus Experts there are new features to ensure the six-week training is more impactful. The program offers: 

• Updated learning modules for students to analyse and learn community leadership skills—like public speaking, community leadership, technical writing, and software development.
• More mentorship for students with a series of touchpoints and events for students to connect with one another during the program. This means more mentorship, more opportunities to meet and learn from like-minded peers, and more chances to develop new skills.
• Streamline the application process, hasten response times, and improve the overall experience.