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Outreachy May 2022 internship applications

Date: February 4, 2022

Photo CC BY 2.0 GotCredit

Outreachy internship applications

Outreachy initial applications are open for the May to August 2022 internships.

The initial application system opens at Feb. 4, 2022 at 4pm UTC. Initial applications are due March 2, 2022 at 4pm UTC.

We strongly recommend you read our tips for application essays before submitting your initial application.

Read applicant guide

Initial applications are reviewed on a first-come-first-served basis. Don't wait until the last day to submit your application!

Apply for Outreachy

Important information

New to Outreachy? Start here:

🤔 What is Outreachy?

💻 what internship projects do you have, ❓ frequently asked questions (faq).

Important dates:

📅 Outreachy schedule

🐦 twitter chat.

Eligibility:

👨🏿‍🎓 Non-student eligibility policy

👩🏽‍🏫 student eligibility policy.

Changes for this internship cohort:

💵 Increased internship stipend

⏲️ new time commitment policy, 👩🏿‍🔬🔬🦠 more open science internships, 📝 initial application changes.

Outreachy provides internships in open source and open science . We provide internships to people subject to systemic bias and impacted by underrepresentation in the technical industry where they are living.

Outreachy internships are:

💵 Paid - $7,000 USD total internship stipend 🌍 Remote - interns work remotely 🕰 3 months - internships run May to August, or December to March

Outreachy supports diversity in tech

Photo CC BY 2.0 WOCinTech Chat

Outreachy is open to applicants around the world.

We invite people to apply who face systemic bias or discrimination in the technology industry of their country.

Outreachy expressly invites applicants who are women (both cis and trans), trans men, non-binary people, and genderqueer people to apply.

We also expressly invite applications who are residents and nationals of the United States of America of any gender who are Black/African American, Hispanic/Latin@, Native American/American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander.

Past Outreachy interns are:

• 4% transgender, genderqueer, or non-binary people
• 64% people of color
• 12% people from a historically disadvantaged caste or tribe

Statistics are based on responses to the 2019 longitudinal study of Outreachy alums.

Outreachy interns work on open source and open science projects. Experienced mentors will guide you.

Outreachy has many types of internship projects:

• programming
• open science or research
• data science
• user experience
• documentation
• graphical design
• user advocacy
• event planning

Internship projects for the May 2022 cohort will be finalized on March 25.

The internship project list will not be finalized before the initial application deadline. Please submit an initial application ASAP. Submit an initial application even if you don't see a project that interests you.

View project list

The Outreachy Applicant Guide has answers to many common questions, such as:

• Am I experienced enough for an Outreachy internship?
• Do I have to be a programmer to apply?
• Do you have the type of project I'm interested in?
• What is free software and open source?

The initial application system will open at Feb. 4, 2022 at 4pm UTC. Initial applications are due March 2, 2022 at 4pm UTC.

The Outreachy intern project project list will not be finalized until March 25, 2022. That is after the initial application deadline.

Please fill out an initial application, even if you don't see a project that interests you. More projects will be added after the initial application deadline.

Want to know what it's like to be an Outreachy intern? Have questions about applying? Join us for a Twitter chat!

Outreachy will run a chat on Twitter. The chat will introduce you to past Outreachy interns and current mentors.

The chat will have a question and answer format. The Outreachy Twitter account will ask questions of applicants, past interns, and current mentors. We will retweet all answers. You are welcome to ask additional questions during and after the chat. You can direct your questions to the Outreachy Twitter account, or past interns or current mentors who are participating in the chat.

The #OutreachyChat will happen on Feb. 14, 2022, 4 p.m. UTC. Please double check what time that is in your timezone . Please follow Outreachy on Twitter if you have a Twitter account.

Outreachy Twitter chat instructions

The Outreachy organizers will be tweeting from the @outreachy Twitter account . Outreachy organizers will pose the questions below. Applicants, mentors, and past interns will answer. Outreachy organizers will wait about 5-10 minutes between questions.

The questions are prefaced with Q1, Q2, etc. You will need to reply with A1, A2, at the start of you answer. Please also use the hashtag #OutreachyChat in all your tweets related to the chat.

The following questions are used for the chat:

Q1: For interested applicants: What questions do you have for mentors, past interns, or organizers? #OutreachyChat

Q2: For past interns and mentors: Please introduce yourself. What community (did you intern with/are you mentoring for)? #OutreachyChat

Q3: For past interns and mentors: What do you love about participating in Outreachy? #OutreachyChat

Q4: For mentors: What is the project you are mentoring? What skills do people need to apply? What skills can they learn from you? #OutreachyChat

Q4: For past interns: What community did you intern with? What was your project? What did you learn during the internship? #OutreachyChat

Q5: For past interns and mentors: What is the Outreachy application process like? Do you have advice for applicants on how to stand out? #OutreachyChat

You do not have to be a student to apply to Outreachy! Outreachy is open to people who are not students.

You do not need a university degree to apply to Outreachy. Many Outreachy interns learned their skills through online resources.

Please read our full eligibility guidelines .

Outreachy has some special eligibility rules for students. If you are (or will be) a student, please read the sections below.

Which cohort should students apply to?

Outreachy runs twice a year, May to August and December to March.

Students in the northern hemisphere should apply to the May 2022 internship cohort.

Students in the southern hemisphere should apply to the December 2022 internship cohort.

We consider India to be in the northern hemisphere, regardless of where the university is located. Otherwise, if your university is near the equator, you are welcome to apply to either cohort.

What if I'm graduating?

Graduating students in the northern hemisphere are eligible to apply to the May 2022 Outreachy internships.

Graduating students in the southern hemisphere may be eligible to apply to the May 2022 Outreachy internships. Graduating students are eligible if the exams for their last school term ends before July 11, 2022. If the school academic calendar continues past that date, graduating students are not eligible.

When in doubt, graduating students should fill out an initial application. Make sure to accurately represent your school and employment time commitments.

Do you grant exceptions to these policies?

In order to apply our policies fairly, we do not grant exceptions to the student policies listed above.

When determining student eligibility, Outreachy looks at the school's academic calendar dates. We do not consider the individual student's course load. We do not consider special arrangements students have made with their university. Students who plan on taking a school term off to pursue an internship are not eligible for Outreachy. We cannot accept letters from universities about pausing classes or joining classes at a later date.

Changes for this internship cohort

Outreachy has increased its internship stipend to $7,000 USD total. The internship stipend is paid in two payments. Please see the payment schedule in the Internship Guide for details.

Outreachy has decreased the amount of time interns are required to work during the internship. Interns are now required to work 30 hours per week.

There are other Outreachy policies that give interns flexibility:

• Interns are required to work 12 weeks out of the 13 week internship
• If interns temporarily cannot work full-time, internships can be extended
• Internships can be extended for up to 5 weeks

Outreachy applicants will notice more open science projects this internship cohort. Outreachy received a grant from the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative. This grant will fund Outreachy interns working on open science.

Photo CC BY 2.0 usarmyafrica

What is open science? Open science means anyone can do scientific research.

Open science projects allow anyone to reproduce their research. This means making sure the software tools, data sets, and research papers are published under an open source license. An open source license means anyone can download, modify, and share their changes.

Outreachy applicants can expect more open science internship projects in the following areas:

• reproducible research
• open access
• open data sets
• open data science
• open collaboration
• citizen science
• using or creating open source software

Outreachy organizers have made some changes to the initial application.

Clearer application instructions

We made application instructions more detailed. The new instructions answer common questions we get from applicants.

We simplified the English in our initial application. Our goal was to have a reading level of grade 4 or below. We hope this will help non-native English speakers.

Please read the initial application instructions carefully, since they have changed.

Essay length limit

Each essay answer is limited to 1000 characters. That is about 200 words.

Limiting the essay answer length helps us review applications faster.

Essay content warnings

Initial applications have essay questions. Some applicants may talk about very harsh or hard things in their essays. That's okay. There's no need to change your essay.

It can help Outreachy application reviewers to know what harsh or hard topics are in your essay. These are called "content warnings".

Content warnings can be one or two words. Examples include: "violence", "sexual assault", or "war".

The initial application now has a "content warnings" field in the essay section. It is an optional field. Applicants can use that field to add content warnings about their essays.

Content warnings help application reviewers mentally prepare to read your essay. Thank you for your help!

If you do not talk about harsh or hard things in your essays, leave this field blank.

Copyright © 2024 Outreachy

Free to share and remix: Creative Commons CC-BY , except for the individual organization logos, which are property of their respective owners, and any pictures with additional creative commons attributions.

The Outreachy website is built with Django , Wagtail , bootstrap and deployed with Dokku . The code is licensed GPL v3 and can be found in the Outreachy website GitHub repo. There is a separate GitHub repo for creative works

This program and all offers related to it are void where prohibited or restricted by law or where operation of the program would violate any law or right. All participants in the program must agree to the terms and conditions of the program which will be provided to the selected applicants.

Outreachy privacy policy .

DEV Community

Posted on Jun 6, 2023 • Updated on Dec 14, 2023

Paving the Way: Understanding the Outreachy Application Process

💠 content of this blog :.

• What is Outreachy?
• Eligibility
• How to apply -
• Initial application
• Contribution period
• Internship period

💠 What is Outreachy?

Outreachy, previously known as the Free and Open Source Software Outreach Program for Women, is a pioneering initiative that seeks to bridge the gap of underrepresentation in free and open-source software projects. The program orchestrates three-month paid internships, specifically designed for individuals who belong to communities traditionally marginalised within these projects. Originally organised by The GNOME Project and the GNOME Foundation, it is now overseen by the Software Freedom Conservancy.

By providing these paid remote internships , Outreachy extends a vital opportunity for participants to immerse themselves in the world of free and open-source software, while receiving financial support for their contributions. The program's overarching goal is to cultivate a more inclusive and diverse tech landscape. Through hands-on experience and collaboration with established projects, Outreachy empowers individuals from underrepresented backgrounds to unlock their potential and make meaningful contributions to the open-source community. By fostering a culture of inclusivity, the program actively challenges and dismantles barriers that hinder diversity within the tech industry.

💠 Eligibility

Outreachy is open to applicants around the world. They invite people to apply who face systemic bias or discrimination in the technology industry of their country. The following are some criteria as stated on the official website - 1. General eligibility You must be 18 years of age or older by May 29, 2023 You must be available for a full-time internship. Outreachy interns work 30 hours per week. The internship runs from May 29, 2023 to Aug. 25, 2023. 2. Past internships You are welcome to apply to Outreachy multiple times. However, you can only be accepted as an Outreachy intern once. You must not be a past Outreachy intern. You must not be a past Outreach Program for Women intern. You must not be a past Google Summer of Code intern. All Google Summer of Code interns are ineligible for Outreachy. This includes people who did not successfully finish their Google Summer of Code internship. 3. Current or future internships The Outreachy internship runs from May 29, 2023 to Aug. 25, 2023. You must not have another internship during the Outreachy internship period. This includes unpaid internships. Applicants are required to list their current internships on their initial application. We understand you may be applying to many jobs. If you receive a job or internship offer, please notify Outreachy organizers immediately. 4. Rules for people with jobs The Outreachy internship runs from May 29, 2023 to Aug. 25, 2023. You must not have a full-time job during the Outreachy internship. You must not have a full-time contracting position during the Outreachy internship period. You must not be on a leave of absence from a full-time job during the Outreachy internship. If you are willing to quit your full-time job, you are welcome to apply to Outreachy. If you cannot quit your full-time job, you are not eligible for Outreachy. If you have a part-time job, you are welcome to apply to Outreachy. Part-time jobs must be approved by Outreachy organizers. Applicants are required to list their current jobs on their initial application. We understand you may be applying to many jobs. If you receive a job or internship offer, please notify Outreachy organizers immediately. 5. Rules for people who are not students People who are not students are welcome to apply to Outreachy. Outreachy has two internship cohorts: May to August, and December to March. If you are not a student, you may apply to either internship cohort. 6. Rules for students Both students and people who are not students are welcome to apply to Outreachy. University students must have 42 consecutive days free from school and exams during the internship period. Students must apply to the correct internship cohort (see rules below). Outreachy internships run twice a year, May to August and December to March. We have some rules around which internship round you can apply to: If you are a student of a university in the Northern Hemisphere, you will only be eligible for the May to August internship cohort. Students in India are considered to be in the northern hemisphere, regardless of where their university is located. If you are a student of a university in the Southern Hemisphere, you will only be eligible for the December to March internship cohort. Otherwise, if your university is near the equator, you may apply to any internship cohort. We will review university term schedules on a case-by-case basis. If you are completing your last term for your degree, you may be eligible for either internship cohort, regardless of what hemisphere you are in. To be eligible for the May 2023 internships, the exams for your last school term must end before July 10, 2023. If the school academic calendar continues past that date, graduating students are not eligible. When determining student eligibility, Outreachy looks at the school's academic calendar dates. We do not consider the individual student's course load. We do not consider special arrangements students have made with their university. Students who plan on taking a school term off to pursue an internship are not eligible for Outreachy. We cannot accept letters from universities about pausing classes or joining classes at a later date. 7. Rules for students on visas Your visa must allow you to work 30 hours per week. If you cannot work 30 hours per week, you are not eligible for Outreachy. If you are on a student visa in the United States of America, you might have limited dates when you can work 30 hours a week. We will work with you to shift your internship dates by up to five weeks. However, we cannot accommodate shortening the 13 week internship. If you are a student on an F-1 visa, you may need to apply for CPT with your university. Outreachy organizers can provide you documentation for your CPT application once you are selected as an intern.

💠 Timeline -

For May- August internship period

• Intern applications are accepted from mid-January to early February
• Internship project list is finalized in early March 2023
• Mentors can sign up starting in January
• Contribution period starts from March till April
• Internships run late May 2024 to late August 2024

For December-March internship period

• Intern applications are accepted from early August to late August 2023
• Internship project list will be finalized in late September 2023
• Mentors can sign up starting in early August 2023
• Internships run early December 2023 to early March 2024

💠 How to apply -

🔶Initial Application - The initial application round for the Outreachy program involves a series of questions designed to assess your eligibility. These questions are accompanied by four essay prompts. Starting from 2023, Outreachy has adopted a first-come, first-served approach, underscoring the importance of submitting your application as early as possible. The essay questions, each with a character limit of 1000, are as follows:

• Are you a member of an underrepresented group in the technology industry of your country? How do you experience underrepresentation?
• If you were to apply for a job in the technology industry of your country, what systemic biases or discrimination do you anticipate encountering?
• Does your learning environment have a limited number of individuals who share your identity or background? Please provide specific details.
• What systemic biases or discrimination have you encountered while developing your skills? For more information, including additional details, please visit the official website - Applicant Guide|Outreachy Documentation If you are selected in the application round you will receive a mail inviting you for contribution period.

🔶 Contribution Period - Once the contribution period commences, Outreachy publishes a comprehensive list of participating companies and their projects for the year. As contributors, we have the freedom to explore these projects and choose the one we are interested in contributing. Each project description includes the specific tasks that contributors are expected to complete. To make the most of the contribution period, consider the following tips:

Embrace your confidence and acknowledge that you possess unique strengths and abilities, just like everyone else.

Thoroughly familiarize yourself with the project you select to ensure a deeper understanding of its requirements and objectives.

When submitting pull requests (PRs), ensure that they are well-defined and accompanied by clear comments, outlining the work you have accomplished. This practice helps provide transparency and clarity about your contributions.

Pro Tip: Stay engaged in the community communication channels by actively participating in discussions, assisting others with their queries, and seeking help when you encounter obstacles. By doing so, you will not only find enjoyment in the experience but also have the opportunity to connect with individuals from diverse backgrounds and learn about their unique skills, which can be truly fascinating.

By following these suggestions, you can maximize your engagement during the contribution period and make meaningful contributions to the chosen project.

Once the contribution period concludes, we are required to submit an application for the internship we desire. This application includes essential details and documents such as a proposed timeline outlining the work we intend to accomplish during the internship, a summary of our contributions during the contribution period, and a showcase of relevant projects that demonstrate our possession of the required skills.

Approximately a month later, Outreachy announces the outcomes. In August 2023, a total of 63 interns were selected for the program.

I take immense pride in being chosen as one of the interns for the August 2023 cohort. It was an incredibly overwhelming moment for me. Throughout my Outreachy journey, I will be documenting my progress in biweekly blog posts. Please feel free to visit my profile to access and read about my experiences.

Outreachy Website - https://www.outreachy.org/

My Socials - 🔗LinkTree

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How i landed my first internship with outreachy.

by Precious Oritsedere on 2023-01-04

Take a moment to resonate with the words above. This is a principle I always follow in life. "Doing it scared"

Get To Know Me

My name is Precious Oritsedere. I am a Nigerian. I am a software engineer who is known for her dedication to her work and her strong core values. I believe in the power of love, contribution, and empathy, hence I use these values as my guide in both my personal and professional life.

As a young girl, I have always been fascinated by technology, gadgets, and even games. However, I didn't study any technology-related courses at university. I graduated with a degree in International Studies and Diplomacy but this didn't stop my curiosity for Technology. I really wanted to pursue my passion for technology but I was unsure of the means to go about it because I had no guide.

Fast-forward to January 2022, I spoke to a friend about how I really wanted to know and learn more about Software Engineering and he introduced me to AltSchool Africa. This was the starting point of my Tech Career. Subsequently, I began to learn all about Frontend Engineering, and I also got introduced to open source.

Why I applied to Outreachy

As a software engineer, I am committed to using my skills to make a positive impact on the world. I believe in the power of collaboration and teamwork and I am always willing to lend a helping hand to my colleagues. This was why the concept of open source really appealed to my personality.

One of the things that motivate me, is my desire to give back to my community. I am passionate about making a difference, and this is why I applied for the Outreachy internship. Outreachy is a program that provides paid internships in open source and open science. Outreachy provides internships to people subject to systemic bias and impacted by underrepresentation in the technology industry where they are living. Interns are paid a stipend of $7,000 for a period of 3 months.

The Outreachy application process consists of three stages: the initial application, the contribution period, and the final application. And I was determined to succeed in each stage and eventually secure an internship. Which I did! Here's how;

The first stage of the application process was the initial application . I carefully reviewed the requirements and made sure I met all of them. We were asked to write 3 essays centered around how we have been underrepresented in the tech industry. I took quite some time to carefully think this through before writing my essays. After which, I submitted my application on time and waited for a response.

A few weeks later, I received an email from the Outreachy organizers stating that I had been selected to move on to the next stage: the contribution period. This stage involved making a contribution to an open-source project. I was excited to have the opportunity to make a real impact and I spent hours researching the different projects. I eventually chose to contribute to the Creative Commons project "Refactor CC Meta Search".

Creative Commons is an American non-profit organization and international network devoted to educational access and expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. They also help overcome legal obstacles to the sharing of knowledge and creativity to address the world’s most pressing challenges.

I was so determined to make a high-quality contribution to this project. I learnt a lot during this stage. I got introduced to new tools like Docker , Linux and even PHP. I spent countless hours learning the codebase and working on my contribution. In the spirit of love and collaboration, I spent a lot of hours helping my fellow Outreachy applicants who were beginners or confused about what to do. I also reached out to the project mentors for guidance when I got stuck and feedback on the contributions I was making.

My hard work paid off and I successfully submitted my contribution on time. For the final stage, I made a final application to be considered for an internship position with Creative Commons.

I was so thrilled when I received the congratulatory mail some weeks later that I had been selected for the internship. My success in the Outreachy application process was a result of my dedication and hard work. I put in the time and effort to ensure I met all the requirements and made a valuable contribution to the project. And I am happy to announce that my determination and perseverance paid off and I was rewarded with a valuable internship opportunity.

In conclusion, Precious Oritsedere is a talented software engineer who is dedicated to her work and driven by her core values of love, contribution, and empathy. She is motivated by her desire to make a difference, and this is evident in her commitment to her work and her participation in the Outreachy internship.