Teaching the Teacher

CME Group Foundation is the largest private funder of Chicago Public School’s Computer Science 4 All (CS4All) program, an initiative to make computer science a core curriculum in Chicago Public Schools. CPS is the only major metropolitan school district in the country to require computer science coursework for graduation, beginning with the class of 2020. In addition to funding the program, CME Group offered a CPS teacher the opportunity to learn about technology through an externship this summer.

Bradley Gill spent about a month at CME Group learnings the ins and outs of what a real-world career in technology looks like. Bradley has been a Computer Science teacher at Curie High School in southwest Chicago since 2012 and will be transitioning to Resident Principal at Phoenix Military Academy in the fall. “As an educator, I couldn't speak to what technology companies are really like and what skills are really required, but thanks to the conversations I had with professionals at CME Group, I can give students authentic advice on what skills are truly required to be successful in a corporate environment,” explained Bradley.

Two years ago, we asked CS4All leadership what else CME Group Foundation could do to be helpful to their students. One of their requests was to expose Computer Science teachers to technology in the real world so they could communicate those opportunities to their students,” said Kassie Davis, CME Group Foundation Executive Director. “We’re grateful to our partners on the Technology team for welcoming Brad this summer.

Bradley’s externship included three areas of focus. He gained a better understanding of how CME Group approaches university engagement, intern assessment and intern project development. Then he got an overview of CME Group’s information security department. Lastly, he learned about general tech like cloud computing, data science and distributed ledger.

I wanted to gain a better understanding of what CME Group does day-to-day and what professional and technical skills students should be exposed to. I want them to be successful working for a company that uses computer science,” explained Bradley. “I learned something new and applicable with every meeting that took place.

Prior to his externship, Bradley was familiar with CME Group but unaware of its role as a technology company. “After being exposed to all the layers of technology at CME Group, I now understand that it is more than a financial exchange,” he added.


Left to Right: Ryan Libel, CME Group Technology Division; Lucia Detorri, Executive Director of Computer Science 4 All; Madeleine Boesche, CME Group Technology Division; Julia Rodila, CME Technology Division; Bradley Gill, Resident Principal at Phoenix Military Academy