Table of contents
1.
Introduction
2.
Eligibility Requirements for Outreachy
3.
Outreachy's Application Process
4.
Annual Outreachy Schedule
4.1.
Timeline for 2022 Edition
5.
Benefits of Outreachy
6.
Advice And Tips For Future Applicants
7.
FAQs
8.
Key Takeaways
Last Updated: Mar 27, 2024
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Outreachy Guide

Author Aditya Kumar
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Introduction

Outreachy is a three-month internship program created by the Software Freedom Conservancy for underrepresented persons in the software industry. It's a paid, remote internship that takes place twice a year, from May to August and December to March. You will contribute to open source as part of the Outreachy program; thus, if you are familiar with open-source, you will be more likely to be selected for the program. The stipend is roughly USD 7000, and the internship is entirely home-based, but if you need to attend any program-related events, a travel allowance of 500 USD is also available. 

The Outreachy Internship program isn't just for programmers and developers; there are plenty of options for non-technical individuals as well. This page will provide you with all of the information you want regarding the Outreachy initiative.

Eligibility Requirements for Outreachy

Let's start with the eligibility: the Outreachy program is available to everybody, but there are certain rules to follow. Varied persons have different qualifying conditions, which are explained in detail in the following sections. The following are the Outreachy program's eligibility requirements:

  • The candidate must be at least 18 years old at the time of application.
  • The candidate must be available to work 40 hours or more each week throughout the program.
  • Even if they did not finish their GSoC program successfully, previously GSoC interns candidates were not eligible for Outreachy.
  • Applicants previously rejected from an Outreachy program are also qualified to apply.
  • Candidates who work part-time or on a contract basis are eligible for the program, while those who work full-time are not.
  • If the applicant is a university student, they can only apply for the first round if their university is located in the Northern Hemisphere, and they can only apply for the second round if their institution is located in the Southern Hemisphere.
  • If the university is located near the equator or the candidate is a final year student, he or she can apply for either round.
  • Women, transgender, genderqueer, non-binary persons, people of colour, and those who have been discriminated against due to caste or tribe are the major beneficiaries of the initiative. Men who have encountered prejudice in the workplace are also eligible to apply.

 

Check out the eligibility requirements here.

Outreachy's Application Process

The Outreachy program's whole application procedure is separated into three parts:

  • Initial Application Phase: During the initial application period, you will be asked primarily essay-type questions regarding your ideas on diversity in the workplace and current difficulties. Aside from the essay questions, you will be asked questions that will test your commitment to the program, so you should answer in a way that demonstrates your eagerness to learn and total commitment to the program.
  • Contribution Phase: The original application's shortlisted applicants join the contribution period, which, as the name suggests, is mostly about making open source contributions. Candidates are chosen based on the quality of their contributions made throughout the contribution period. During the contribution time, the applicants will have the opportunity to interact with the mentors.
  • Intern Selection Phase: Following the contribution period, the mentors review the work of the applicants and confirm their project timeline based on their contributions and commitment, after which the mentors give reports to Outreachy organisers indicating which candidates they want to select – the names of all the selected candidates are announced together.

 

To know more about the application guide please click here.

Annual Outreachy Schedule

Internships with Outreachy are offered twice a year. For each year, below is the basic schedule for the program:

Rounds Internships in the middle of the Year Internships at the end of the year
Call for mentoring communities opens early January early August
Initial applications open early February late August
Initial applications due end of February early September
Contribution period opens mid-March early October
Contribution period ends mid-April end of October
Interns announced mid-May late November
Internships start May December
Internships end August March

 

Timeline for 2022 Edition

The timeline for the Outreachy internship program in 2022 is listed below; read it to get an idea of how the program works and then plan your approach appropriately.

  • Feb. 4, 2022, at 4 pm UTC - Initial applications open
  • Feb. 14, 2022, 4 pm UTC - #OutreachyChat on Twitter
  • March 2, 2022, at 4 pm UTC - Initial application deadline
  • March 30, 2022 - Project list finalised
  • March 25, 2022, to April 22, 2022 - Contribution to the projects
  • April 22, 2022, at 4 pm UTC - Final application deadline
  • May 20, 2022, at 4 pm UTC - Accepted interns announced
  • May 30, 2022, to Aug. 26, 2022 - Internships perio

Benefits of Outreachy

  • Boost Learning: As you contribute and make modifications to Free and Open Source Software, the Outreachy initiative will accelerate your learning curve. You'll get a better understanding of new technologies and tools, as well as learn from your mentor.
  • Business Experience: You'll complete a project on time, then get a taste of how things work in the industry and how a task is broken down into little chunks so that it can be completed in a certain period.
  • Stipend: The program offers you knowledge and experience and rewards you with a salary of USD 7000 for your hard work, dedication, and devotion.

Advice And Tips For Future Applicants

Here are some tips and advice for future applicants which are mentioned below:

Tip 1: Make an informed decision about your project.

Finding a project or organisation that interests you is the first step toward a successful Outreachy experience. Keep these questions in mind while choosing an organisation or project: "What do you want to gain out of Outreachy?" "What are your skills?" and "What are you enthusiastic about?"

Take some time to learn more about each group, including what they do and what their objective is. Look for something that will pique your interest and keep you engaged for the next three months.

Tip 2: Do not hesitate to ask your queries.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. While there is a wealth of knowledge available to us, it would be naive to believe that we know everything there is to know about our topic. Some individuals believe that asking questions would put them in a bad light, which is incorrect. In reality, asking questions demonstrates your creativity and curiosity.

However, only ask queries if you're 100% satisfied that googling it or diving into the coding won't help. Respect the time of project maintainers.

Tip 3: Be Patient.

The project maintainers are almost certainly in a different time zone than you. So, if the maintainers don't respond to your questions, be patient. Keep in mind that maintainers have a large number of fixes to examine and contributions to make.

Tip 4: Don't be discouraged.

Don't get discouraged if your patches are rejected at first; you're only getting started. This should not deter you from continuing to contribute to the project; simply keep going!

FAQs

1. What is an Outreachy internship program?

Outreachy is a remote internship program that pays well. Outreachy's mission is to help persons from underrepresented groups in the IT industry. They assist newbies to the Free and Open Source Software community in making their initial contributions

2. How much experience do one need to apply to the Outreachy program?

Applicants frequently ask questions like these to Outreachy organisers:

"I'm in my second year of university. I've worked on a few projects using the X programming language. Is my experience sufficient for this internship?"

"I'm taking online classes to master Y. But I've never used such talents on a large assignment. Is my experience sufficient for this internship?"

"Regardless of your degree of experience, you should complete out an initial application," says the answer.

Outreachy offers a variety of internship opportunities. Each endeavour will need a particular set of skills. There will almost certainly be at least one project that matches your talents.

3. When can I apply for the Outreachy program in 2022?

On Feb. 4, 2022, at 4 pm UTC application will open.

4. What is the age limit to apply to the Outreachy program?

At the time of application, the candidate must be at least 18 years old.

5. Is it necessary for one to be a programmer to apply?

To apply to Outreachy, one does not need to be a coder. Non-programming work is the emphasis of specific Outreachy programs. Design, documentation, user experience, marketing, and event planning may be part of these initiatives.

However, you will need some programming abilities for the bulk of Outreachy projects. To apply for those projects, you'll require programming experience.

Key Takeaways

In this article, we have discussed the complete Outreachy guide. In this guide, we have discussed what the Outreachy program is and how we can apply in that? We have also discussed all the benefits of it. So basically, Outreachy is a three-month internship program created by the Software Freedom Conservancy for underrepresented persons in the software industry. It's a paid, remote internship that takes place twice a year, from May to August and December to March. 

Here are some blogs explaining other programs as well like Google summer of codeGithub Externship, etc.

Refer to our guided paths on Coding Ninjas Studio to learn more about DSA, Competitive Programming, JavaScript, System Design, etc. Enroll in our courses and refer to the mock test and problems available; look at the interview experiences and interview bundle for placement preparations.

Do upvote our blog to help other ninjas grow. 

Happy Coding!

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