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Google Summer of Code 2021 is open for mentor organization applications!

GSoC logo
With the new year comes the start of our 17th edition of Google Summer of Code (GSoC)! Right now open source projects and organizations can apply to participate as mentoring organizations for the students in the 2021 program. GSoC is a global program that draws student developers (18 years old and over) from around the world to contribute to open source projects. This year, from June 7th to August 16th, each student will spend 10 weeks working on a coding project with the support of volunteer mentors from participating open source organizations.

Does your open source project want to learn more about becoming a mentoring organization? Visit the program site and read the mentor guide to learn about what it means to be a mentor organization, how to prepare your community (hint: have plenty of enthusiastic mentors!), creating appropriate project ideas (that will be ~175 hour projects for the student), and tips for preparing your application.

We welcome all types of organizations and are very eager to involve first-time organizations with a 2021 goal of accepting 40 new orgs. We encourage veteran organizations to refer other organizations they think would be a good fit to participate in GSoC as well.

Last year, 1,106 students completed the program under the guidance of over 2,000 mentors from 198 open source organizations. Many types of open source organizations are involved in GSoC, from small and medium sized open source organizations to larger, umbrella organizations with many sub-projects under them (Python Software Foundation, Apache Software Foundation, etc.). Some organizations are relatively young (less than 2 years old), while other organizations have been around for 20+ years.

You can apply to be a mentoring organization for GSoC starting today on the program site. The deadline to apply is February 19th at 19:00 UTC. We will publicly announce the organizations chosen for GSoC 2021 on March 9th.

Please visit the program site for more information on how to apply and review the detailed timeline of important deadlines. We also encourage you to check out the Mentor Guide and our short video on why open source projects want to be a part of the GSoC program.

Good luck to all open source mentoring organization applicants!

By Stephanie Taylor, Google Open Source

Google Summer of Code 2020: Learning Together


In its 16th year of the program, we are pleased to announce that 1,106 students from 65 countries have successfully completed Google Summer of Code (GSoC) 2020! These student projects are the result of three months of collaboration between students, 198 open source organizations, and over 2,000 mentors from 67 countries.

During the course of the program what we learned was most important to the students was the ability to learn, mentorship, and community building. From the student evaluations at the completion of the program, we collected additional statistics from students about the GSoC program, where we found some common themes. The word cloud below shows what mattered the most to our students, and the larger the word in the cloud, the more frequently it was used to describe mentors and open source.

Valuable insights collected from the students:
  • 94% of students think that GSoC helped their programming
  • 96% of students would recommend their GSoC mentors
  • 94% of students will continue working with their GSoC organization
  • 97% of students will continue working on open source
  • 27% of students said GSoC has already helped them get a job or internship
The GSoC program has been an invaluable learning journey for students. In tackling real world, real time implementations, they've grown their skills and confidence by leaps and bounds. With the support and guidance from mentors, they’ve also discovered that the value of their work isn’t just for the project at hand, but for the community at large. As newfound contributors, they leave the GSoC program enriched and eager to continue their open source journey.

Throughout its 16 years, GSoC continues to ignite students to carry on their work and dedication to open source, even after their time with the program has ended. In the years to come, we look forward to many of this year’s students paying it forward by mentoring new contributors to their communities or even starting their own open source project. Such lasting impact cannot be achieved without the inspiring work of mentors and organization administrators. Thank you all and congratulations on such a memorable year!

By Romina Vicente, Project Coordinator for the Google Open Source Programs Office

Google Summer of Code 2020 Statistics: Part 2

With the program nearing the end of the summer, it’s time for another round of updates!

Universities

The 1,198 students accepted into the GSoC 2020 program came from 550 universities, of which, 114 have students participating for the first time in GSoC.

Schools with the most accepted students for GSoC 2020:
University# of Accepted Students
Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee48
Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur27
International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad24
National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal23
Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani (BITS Pilani)13
Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur13
Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi11
University of Moratuwa11
National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur10
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amritapuri Campus10
University of Tokyo10
University Of Colombo School Of Computing (UCSC)10

Mentors

Each year we pore over gobs of data to extract some interesting statistics about the GSoC mentors. Here’s a quick synopsis of our 2020 crew:
  • Registered mentors: 3,592
  • Mentors with assigned student projects: 2,156
  • Mentors who have participated in GSoC for 10 or more years: 78
  • Mentors who have been a part of GSoC for 5 years or more: 199
  • Mentors that are former GSoC students: 533 (24.7%)
  • Mentors that have also been involved in the Google Code-in program: 405 (18.8%)
  • Percentage of new mentors: 34.18%
GSoC 2020 had an international representation with mentors from 67 countries around the world!

The global pandemic, COVID-19, brought additional challenges to this year’s GSoC program. Whether living with the virus, adjusting to shifting school and work schedules, or pivoting to a remote lifestyle, students and mentors have had to prioritize their safety and delicately balance their new way of life. Despite these unprecedented times, our students continue to push on and our mentors fully support our students by sharing their passion for open source, listening to their concerns and providing them with valuable advice. For that commitment, we would like to acknowledge and give thanks to all students and mentors in the GSoC 2020 program. Not even a pandemic can dampen your enthusiasm and tireless contributions to the open source community!

By Stephanie Taylor – Program Manager, Google Open Source Programs Office

Google Summer of Code 2020 Statistics: Part 1

Since 2005, Google Summer of Code (GSoC) has been bringing new developers into the open source community every year. This year, we accepted 1,199 from 66 countries into the 2020 GSoC program to work with 199 open source organizations over the summer. Students began coding June 1st and will spend the next 12 weeks working closely under the guidance from mentors from their open source communities.

Each year we like to share program statistics about the GSoC program and the accepted students and mentors involved in the program. 6,626 students from 121 countries submitted 8,903 applications for this year’s program.

Accepted Students

  • 86.6% are participating in their first GSoC
  • 71.7% are first time applicants to GSoC

Degrees

  • 77.4% are undergraduates, 16.8% are masters students, and 5.8% are in PhD programs
  • 72.5% are Computer Science majors, 3.6% are Mathematics majors, 23.9% are other majors including many from engineering fields like Electrical, Mechanical, Aerospace, etc.
  • Students are studying in a variety of fields including Atmospheric Science, Finance, Neuroscience, Economics, Biophysics, Linguistics, Geology, Pharmacy and Real estate.

Proposals

There were a record number of students submitting proposals for the program this year:
  • 6,626 students (18.2% increase from last year)
  • 121 countries
  • 8,902 proposals submitted

Registrations

We had a record breaking 51,244 students from 178 countries(!) register for the program this year—that’s a 65% increase in registrations from last year’s record numbers!

In our next GSoC statistics post, we will do a deeper dive into the schools and mentors for the 2020 program.

By Stephanie Taylor, Google Open Source

Google Summer of Code 2020 now open for student applications!

If you’re a university student and want to sharpen your software development skills while doing good for the open source community, check out Google Summer of Code (GSoC) 2020! This will be our 16th year of GSoC!

We are now accepting student applications for our program that introduces university students from around the world to open source software communities, as well as our enthusiastic and generous community of mentors. For three months students code from the comfort of their homes (the program is entirely online!) and receive stipends based on the successful completion of their project milestones.

Past participants say the real-world experience that GSoC provides honed their technical skills, boosted their confidence, expanded their professional network, and enhanced their resume, all while making them better developers.

Interested students can submit proposals on the program site between now and Tuesday, March 31, 2020 at 18:00 UTC.

While many students began preparing in February when we announced the 200 participating open source organizations, it’s not too late for you to start! The first step is to browse the list of organizations and look for project ideas that appeal to you. Next, reach out to the organization to introduce yourself and determine if your skills and interests are a good fit. Since spots are limited, we recommend writing a strong proposal and submitting a draft early so you can communicate with the organization and get their feedback to increase your odds of being selected.

You can learn more about how to prepare by watching the video below and checking out the Student Guide and Advice for Students.



You can find more information on our website, including a full timeline of important dates. We also highly recommend reviewing the FAQ and Program Rules.

Remember to submit your proposals early as you only have until Tuesday, March 31 at 18:00 UTC. Good luck to all who apply!

By Stephanie Taylor, Google Open Source

Google Summer of Code 2020 mentoring orgs announced!

We are delighted to announce the open source projects and organizations that have been accepted for Google Summer of Code (GSoC) 2020, the 16th year of the program!

After careful review, we have chosen 200 open source projects to be mentor organizations this year, 30 of which are new to the program. Please see the program website for a complete list of the accepted organizations.

Are you a student interested in participating in GSoC this year? We will begin accepting student applications on Monday, March 16, 2020 at 18:00 UTC and the deadline to apply is Tuesday, March 31, 2020 at 18:00 UTC.


The most successful applications come from students who start preparing now. Here are some proactive tips for a successful before the application period begins:
You can find more information on our website which includes a full timeline of important dates. We also highly recommend perusing the FAQ and Program Rules and watching some of our other videos with more details about GSoC for students and mentors.

A hearty congratulations—and thank you—to all of our mentor organizations! We look forward to working with all of you during Google Summer of Code 2020.

By Stephanie Taylor, Google Open Source

Google Summer of Code 2020 is now open for mentor organization applications!

We are looking for open source projects and organizations to participate in the 16th annual Google Summer of Code (GSoC)! GSoC is a global program that draws university student developers from around the world to contribute to open source projects. Each student will spend three months working on a coding project with the support of volunteer mentors from participating open source organizations, mid-May to mid-August.

Last year, 1,276 students worked with 206 open source organizations and over 2,000 mentors. Organizations include small and medium sized open source projects, as well as a number of umbrella organizations with many sub-projects under them (Apache Software Foundation, Python Software Foundation, etc.).

Our 2020 goal is to accept more organizations into their first GSoC than ever before! We ask that veteran organizations refer other organizations they think would be a good fit to participate in GSoC.

You can apply to be a mentoring organization for GSoC starting today. The deadline to apply is February 5 at 19:00 UTC. Organizations chosen for GSoC 2020 will be publicly announced on February 20.

Please visit the program site for more information on how to apply and review the detailed timeline of important deadlines. We also encourage you to check out the Mentor Guide and our short video on why open source projects apply to be a part of the program.

Best of luck to all of the open source mentoring organization applicants!

By Stephanie Taylor, Google Open Source

Announcing Google Summer of Code 2020!

Google Open Source is proud to announce Google Summer of Code (GSoC) 2020—the 16th year of the program! We look forward to introducing the 16th batch of student developers to the world of open source and matching them with open source projects, while earning a stipend so they can focus their summer on their project.

Over the last 15 years GSoC has provided over 15,000 university students, from 109 countries, with an opportunity to hone their skills by contributing to open source projects during their summer break.

And the ‘special sauce’ that has kept this program thriving for 16 years: the mentorship aspect of the program. Participants gain invaluable experience working directly with mentors who are dedicated members of these open source communities; mentors help bring students into their communities while teaching them, guiding them and helping them find their place in the world of open source.

We’re excited to keep the tradition going! Applications for interested open source project organizations open on January 14, 2020, and student applications open March 25.

Are you an open source project interested in learning more? Visit the program site and read the mentor guide to learn more about what it means to be a mentor organization, how to prepare your community and create appropriate project ideas, and tips for preparing your application. We welcome all types of organizations—large and small—and are very eager to involve first time projects. For 2020, we hope to welcome more organizations into GSoC than ever before and are looking to accept 40-50 new organizations into their first GSoC.

Are you a university student interested in learning how to prepare for the 2020 GSoC program? It’s never too early to start thinking about your proposal or about what type of open source organization you may want to work with. You should read the student guide for important tips on preparing your proposal and what to consider if you wish to apply for the program in mid-March. You can also get inspired by checking out the 200+ organizations that participated in Google Summer of Code 2019, as well as the projects that students worked on.

We encourage you to explore other resources and you can learn more on the program website.

By Stephanie Taylor, Google Open Source

From "let’s try" to "woah, this is awesome!": Three years of GSoC for InterMine

GSoC Experience Series

InterMine is an open source data warehouse for biological data. In 2017, we decided at short-ish notice to participate in a call from Open Genome Informatics for Google Summer of Code (GSoC) mentoring organisations. InterMine had never participated in a program like this before, and we weren’t entirely sure if the time investment was actually going to be worth it. We nervously said “no more than two projects”, but we had so many great applications, we ended up taking on five brilliant students.
Fast forward to 2019, GSoC is firmly embedded in our organisation it’s hard to imagine that this is only our third time participating. The benefits to us (and hopefully the students as well!) were immeasurable, allowing us to explore open-ended projects we thought might be fun and implement concrete ideas that we’ve been wanting to do for years, all while interacting with a really smart bunch of talented students. 

From the 2017 cohort of students, we ended up with one of our students, Konstantinos Krytsis, authoring a scientific paper about the work they did: InterMineR: an R package for InterMine databases. Another student, Nadia Yudina, returned to our org as a mentor the next year.
In 2018, student engagement got even better: of six students, Adrián Rodríguez-Bazaga applied for an internal vacancy and joined us full time, Nupur Gunwant spent her next summer break working on an internship in our office, and two students returned as mentors the next year (Aman Dwivedi and Arunan Sugunakumar).

By this point, any questions we might have had about whether or not GSoC was “worth it” were firmly answered: GSoC had become an integral part of our team’s operations. There were still things we needed to improve, though—we ran a student debrief after GSoC 2018, and one student expressed that despite having worked with our API and data for three months, they still didn’t have a firm idea of why or how someone might wish to use InterMine. ? whoops! This definitely had never been our intent, and I felt mortified that we’d overlooked something so basic.

In 2019, we set out to provide our students with a firm grounding by running cohort calls. All students were invited, giving them the chance to meet one another and interact—not quite face to face, but video calls still give a great sense of “group” compared to just text chat. We structured the calls to run over several months, liberally borrowing from the Mozilla Open Leaders curriculum to teach students about open source good practices, presentation skills, code review, providing effective and kind feedback (an essential part of code review), and of course—talking about what InterMine is, how it was founded, and what type of people might use it. We made heavy use of Zoom’s breakout room feature, to allow small sub-groups of students and mentors to have private discussions about topics, before re-convening to report their experiences to the group.

Feedback from students was very positive about the calls, so we expect to continue this in later years. I think my favourite comment after our very first call was “Are there going to be more of these group calls? This was awesome!” We also repeatedly had the group calls mentioned positively in free-text feedback from student evaluations.

With this in mind, we’d like to share our call agenda templates with other organisations so others can run the same student cohort calls if they wish,and remix/modify, etc. as needed. As part of our GSoC site repo, all content including our call templates, GSoC grading criteria and advice, etc. is Apache licensed and open for reuse. You can see all of our call templates on our GSoC repo site, or fork our GSoC GitHub repo;and I’m happy to discuss ideas (email: [email protected], twitter: @yoyehudi or @intermineorg) or help others get similar group call programs off the ground if you’d like advice.

Google Summer of Code: Being Happy While Working is Possible

GSoC Experience Series

I am proud to have been part of GSoC 2019, which was without a doubt, a motivating experience that gives strength to continue improving and working in open source. I participated with the project: New rules for the Topology Framework in gvSIG Desktop, and received mentoring by the OSGeo organization and gvSIG association. Being a part of this project has been one of the best experiences I have had—from a professional point of view and because the freedom the mentors gave me to work and the interaction with the community, allowed me to enjoy the environment while learning simultaneously. Achieving the objectives was a challenge but thanks to the motivation and support it was possible.

With the project it was possible to implement a new set of topology rules for the validation and correction of vector data sets, which improve and extend the characteristics of previously existing tools in gvSIG. These tools allow browsing, searching and correcting validation errors. With the rules implementation are automated tasks, allowing to reduce errors and eliminating repetitive tasks. For more information, you can read the final report or the repository with all the documentation of the project documentation is available in English, Spanish and Italian.

What I love about this project is working on time optimization—perhaps the most precious and scarce resource—The user is allowed to focus on logic to be solved, leaving aside repetitive tasks and optimizing the use of time.

Defining rule implementation: “Must be Coincident with”


Rule “Must be Coincident with” working to find the topological errors.

Beyond the technical contribution, what gave me the most value is the spirit of the program that allows you to work professionally, and through a motivating context really allows you to enjoy the process and this enhances the results. It was essential that as the project progressed the mentors were transparent and allowed me to work with more freedom; their trust and the community interaction was of great importance.

It has been a great experience and I appreciate the opportunity to participate in a project with these characteristics, which also helps optimize the use of time. I encourage anyone who is interested in adding value in any area of open source to participate in GSoC, don’t hesitate due to your age.

By Mauro Carlevaro