Resources for Organizers¶
CHAOSS Mentorship Metrics¶
CHAOSS (Community Health Analytics Open Source Software) created a framework for actually measuring whether mentorship programs are working. The metric defines what mentorship means in open source contexts, then lays out specific things you can measure — for example, number of mentors and mentees, completion rates, whether mentees stick around after the program ends, whether they move into leadership roles, demographic diversity of participants, and so on.
Mentorship in Open Source¶
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The report is based on data from their own LFX Mentorship program (which has graduated 270+ developers since 2019) plus broader industry research. It examines why mentorship matters, what makes programs successful, and the challenges organizations face in running them.
A Systematic Literature Review on Mentoring Practices in Open Source Software Projects¶
A comprehensive understanding of the current practices and challenges of mentoring in OSS, as is needed to implement appropriate strategies to facilitate mentoring.
Association of Mentors with Project Success in the Apache Software Foundation Incubator¶
Examination of the Apache Software Foundation's Incubator program, in which new projects join Apache and work with mentors to meet Apache standards. The researchers examined whether having mentors actually correlates with project success.
Unlocking Open Science in Africa: Mentorship and Grassroots Community Building¶
This paper focuses on mentorship in the context of building open science communities in Africa. It's particularly relevant because it addresses mentorship in contexts where resources may be limited, internet access is inconsistent, and existing open source/science communities are small. The research looks at how mentorship can build capacity from the ground up, create sustainable local communities, and address barriers specific to certain regions or contexts.
Behind the Scenes of Running Linux Kernel Mentorship Programs¶
This Linux Foundation blog post goes behind the curtain to show what it actually takes to run the Linux Kernel Mentorship Program and the administrative work involved.
The Power of Mentorship in Open Source¶
This article highlights how mentorship helps computer science students transition into open-source contributors. It addresses the gap between what students learn in school and what they need to know to contribute to real open source projects. The piece discusses why students struggle to get started in open source (intimidation, not knowing where to begin, fear of making mistakes) and how good mentorship bridges that gap. It highlights the difference mentorship makes in retention: students with mentors are much more likely to stick with open source contributions.
The Success of Google Summer of Code¶
A news article covering GSoC's success metrics and impact. It looks at the numbers — how many contributors have participated, how many continue contributing after GSoC ends, career outcomes, and the program's growth over time.
QOSF Mentorship program – what does the application process look like¶
This blog post by Michał Stęchły goes into details about what screening tasks and criteria they use to select mentees.
The Carpentries Instructor Trainers Handbook¶
This is the handbook for Instructor Trainers — people who train people to become Carpentries instructors. It's a "train the trainer" model. The handbook explains how to become an Instructor Trainer (competitive application, 10-week training program, certification requirements), what Instructor Trainers do (teach Instructor Training events, evaluate teaching demonstrations, maintain curriculum), and how the Instructor Trainer community operates. This is valuable for thinking about sustainability: how do you create a self-sustaining mentorship ecosystem where mentors can train new mentors?
Open Source Mentorship Programs: What's In It For You?¶
A panel discussion at FOSSY 2024 (a free and open source software conference) where mentors, maintainers, and mentees shared their experiences with various mentorship programs.
Anatomy of an open internship program: How we run Outreachy¶
In this talk, Outreachy lead program manager Anna e só open sources their internship formula to empower the next generations of free and open source leaders, activists, and contributors. They walk about core principles; the internship model that allows us to support their community of interns, mentors, and coordinators; and how their open internship and mentorship guidelines and experience can help you empower minoritized groups in your community.