Following the College’s recognition as an ‘Apple Distinguished School’ in 2023,  The Digital Technology and Entrepreneurship Residency initiative was launched in conjunction with Apple to continue to deliver a higher level of knowledge and skills into the College’s digital curriculum program through access to industry experts.

Professor John Gallaugher from Boston College spent two days in residency at St Andrews, sharing his passion, enthusiasm and expertise with students and Creative Industries Staff.

Professor Gallaugher is an exceptional Innovation and Entreprenuership having worked with students across the globe; creating powerful connections to leading industries.  John’s students have gone on to work for some of the world’s largest companies, including Apple, Google and Facebook.  Many have also launched successful startups that have secured significant venture capital investment.

He runs a popular social present teaching software development, physical computing, and a range of other courses. He is also the author of numerous publications used to support Digital tech programs around the world.

While working with students across multiple year levels and projects, he also spent time supporting staff in developing our programs.

Our student workshops provided an enriching array of opportunities tailored to budding software developers. The program commenced with an "Introduction to SwiftUI" for novices, creating a foundation from which they could build their first simple programs. As students' skills advanced, the workshops escalated to more complex sessions, including those who had successfully entered their products in the global 'Swift Students Challenge'. John mentored these advanced students, offering them invaluable insights and connections to help launch their products into the market. These sessions not only fostered technical skills but also introduced entrepreneurial concepts, guided by a global expert.

Head of Creative Industries, Mr Brett Moller said initiatives and opportunities like this aim to provide students access to international leaders in the field, and hence unparalleled industry insights.

"Beyond this, we also spark the curiosity of students who have shown interest,” Mr Moller said.

“While we are excited to see current passions fly, it is incredibly rewarding to see students discover a new ‘superpower’.

“Introducing students to the things they don’t yet know they love is the highlight for me!.”

Reflecting on his time at St Andrew’s, Mr Gallaugher said was impressed by the high skill level of our students.

“These standouts from grades 7-9 are well on their way to becoming Legends of the App Store,” he said.

“Seeing their apps which, for Year 10 students, were as sophisticated as anything I’d seen from my university undergrads. Student Swift Challenge applicants will have a high bar to meet to beat these guys. I expect nothing but greatness in their future.”

Further ongoing initiatives in this program include the continued access and support of Prof Daniel Woo, who has been working with students on Swift UI and software design for the past three years. Mr Woo will also assist with a curriculum review of digital technology, having experience assisting to develop the ACARA curriculum.

We look forward to seeing what these students create!