Hi guys, I was and am a bit frustrated and when I get like that I decide to look for job openings/volunteering to motivate myself.
And then I went to look at Outreachy's website and I found out that this year they are going to advance the registrations (normally it only started in February)
And I thought, "I need to share this with my mutuals."
I'm going to tell you very briefly what Outreachy is, but you can find all the information in more detail on their website HERE.
01/16 to 02/06: Registration open + 1 selection phase
06/03 to 03/04 : If you pass the first phase, you start the contribution period by choosing a project/mentor
04/05 : Finalists announced
05/29 to 08/25: Intership
WHAT IS OUTREACHY AND WHO IS IT FOR?
outreachy is a paid, remote internship program designed for underrepresented groups in technology.
They help introduce new people to the practice/world of open source and give a grant of $7,000.
You can apply to almost any part of the world (there are some restrictions, take a look at their website, Cuba for example would not be possible)
They have two rounds from May to August and from December to March.
BUT WHO IS UNDERREPRESENTED?
They encourage people who face systemic bias or discrimination, such as us women (cis or trans), trans men, non-binary, genderqueer, people of color and people who have historically suffered from caste or tribe disadvantages.
SOME ELIGIBILITY RULES.
(Check THEM ALL out on their website)
You have to be +18 or older by May 29, 2023
You are available for a full-time job, 30 hours a week from 05/29 to 08/25
Outreachy is open to both college students and non-college students. College students must have 42 consecutive days free of classes and exams during the internship period. Students must apply for the correct internship round (see rules).
You have not been an intern for Outreachy, the Outreach Program for Women, or the Google Summer of Code.
Applicants who have part-time or contract jobs are welcome. However, part-time jobs must be approved by the Outreachy organizers. People who want to leave their full-time job can apply. If you cannot leave your full-time job, you are not eligible for Outreachy.
If you are eligible, you will apply through their website and the first step will be to send an essay (you will answer a few questions, mostly talking about the discriminations in technology that you have experienced or seen occur and also what they are the other discrimination you face in your home country's system. (I recommend using data on this if possible)
Me for example, in addition to being a cis woman, I am part of the lgbtqi+ community in a country that kills the most people in the community (mainly trans), I am fat, poor and I belong to an African matrix religion in a racist country.
So besides the discrimination for being a woman in tech (and yes men, it exists) there are other issues that affect me.
If you pass this first selection, you will receive an email and when the contribution period starts you will have to choose a project and get in touch with its community/mentor.
++I've read and heard more than one person recommend choosing 1-2 projects, because it seems like a long time but in reality it's not to make a significant contribution and you'll only move into the program if you make at least 1 contribution.
++ I've also read from former participants that it's good to continue contributing to the project even after the end of the contribution date, mentors evaluate this.
PLUS:
1 .Please don't lie.
Be real about your struggles and if they don't exist, be real about that too.
2 .The organization does lives on twitter giving tips to candidates, so if it's your first time I think it would be really cool to hear it, it helped me a lot last year.
BUT Bea, am I experienced enough?
Here's what they say about it:
Outreach organizers often receive questions from applicants such as:
"I'm a second-year college student. I've already done a few projects in the X programming language. Do I have enough experience for this internship?"
"I'm learning Y through online courses. But I haven't worked on a big project with those skills. Do I have enough experience for this internship?"
The answer is "You must complete an initial application, regardless of your experience level."
Outreachy has many different internship projects. Each project will have different skill requirements. There is likely to be at least one project that suits your skills.
I really like this initiative, mainly because unfortunately technology there are many people (mainly men, cis and white) being prejudiced and / or aggressive with minorities. So having a space like this, with good projects, paid and with the security that they do their best there so you don't have to worry about facing things like that and if you happen to face it (the probability is minimal, but you never know) it will having true and genuine support is a very good thing.
Last year I passed the first selection, but I couldn't contribute to any project because I didn't have the ability to contribute code. *The program is NOT for code only, most projects are, but there are projects you can contribute to with Design/UI/UX, research and writing. In my case, because I'm not native or fluent in English I didn't think it would be a good decision to take responsibility for something that would be used by others using my English proficiency that still needs to be further developed.
But this is about me.
I really recommend ALL women and people from other underrepresented groups to participate.
It's a great way to get started in open source / gain experience to put on your CV and increase your chances of getting a good job.
If you are going to participate, I wish from the heart that you succeed and that it is a good experience.
So,f you have any questions after looking at the site and I know the answer, I will help.
I wish you have a great Day and drink water.
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