Outreachy 2023: Year in Review

Fri Jan 12 15:30:26 UTC 2024

                      Outreachy 2023: Year in Review

URL: https://sfconservancy.org/news/2024/jan/11/outreachy-2023-year-in-review/

Social media:
  https://social.sfconservancy.org/notice/Adm2QaY3xEwzKnKHR2
  https://twitter.com/conservancy/status/1745830431780651149

# Celebrating 14 Years of Impact

In 2023, Outreachy marked a significant milestone in its 14-year journey
by welcoming over 1,000 interns into the open source community. This
remarkable achievement was commemorated through a series of 6 local
celebrations across various countries and 3 virtual events, showcasing
the global reach of Outreachy's impact. The celebrations served as a
testament to the diversity and inclusivity that Outreachy champions.

# Outreachy in 2023: By the Numbers

Outreachy's impact in 2023 by the numbers tells a compelling story.
Collaborating with 40 open source communities and engaging 191 mentors,
Outreachy inspired 488 new open source contributors to embark on their
open source journey. The open source communities saw an impressive 3,439
contributions merged from 764 applicants, showcasing the incredible
impact of this program.

The heart of Outreachy lies in the interns it supports. In 2023, 121
interns worked full-time on open source projects for three months each.
This commitment was met with a distribution of $847,000 in internship
stipends to people facing discrimination and systemic bias.

Despite these achievements, the need for financial support remains
urgent. It requires significant resources to continue this level of
success. And with 1,936 applicants in 2023, there is a compelling case
for increased funding to expand Outreachy and provide more opportunities
for those eager to contribute to open source. If Outreachy had
additional funding, we could support and recruit more mentors, directly
fund more internships, and accept more interns from the 764 applicants
who made open source contributions.

# Outreachy Team Milestones

## 1. 1000th Intern Celebration

The Outreachy organizing team played a big role in orchestrating the
celebratory events. In addition to hitting the milestone of accepting
the 1,000th Outreachy intern, the team organized 6 local celebrations
and 3 virtual events. The local celebrations were held in 6 countries:
Cameroon, Canada, India, Kenya, Nigeria, and the USA. Each celebration
served as a testament to the global reach of Outreachy's impact and the
diversity it fosters within the open source community.

We also appreciate our alums who served as the leads for the local
celebrations. These dedicated leads played a crucial role in organizing
the events, ensuring that everyone at the event felt celebrated and
included. Outreachy merch were also sent around the world, symbolizing
the interconnectedness of the global Outreachy community.

Photo albums capturing the vibrant moments of each celebration are available:

Cameroon [0]

Canada [1]

India [2]

Kenya [3]

Nigeria [4]

USA [5]

These celebratory events not only recognized the interns but also
acknowledged the vital role of mentors, coordinators, and the wider open
source community. It was a moment to reflect on the collaborative
efforts that have driven Outreachy to its current standing and set the
stage for future endeavors.

## 2. Intern and Community Support

The heart of Outreachy lies in its interns, and the team ensured their
support throughout 2023. With 121 interns participating in the May and
December cohorts, the Outreachy team encouraged personal connections
through 1:1 meetings and a social hour. These initiatives aimed not only
to facilitate professional growth but also to foster a sense of
community among interns across diverse open source communities.

## 3. Applicant Empowerment

Empowering applicants is a core focus of Outreachy, and in 2023, 1,936
applicants were approved to participate in the May and December
contribution periods. To enhance the application process, the team
increased initial application reviewers to 17, providing a more
comprehensive and supportive review process. Live Q&A sessions were
conducted to help applicants navigate open source community practises
and understand the Outreachy application process better.

## 4. Mentor and Coordinator Engagement

The involvement of mentors and community coordinators is crucial to
Outreachy's success. In 2023, 191 mentors supported interns in the May
and December cohorts, showcasing the growing mentorship network. The
team addressed challenges faced by mentors through discussion sessions
at three different conferences. Outreachy's commitment to mentorship
extended to encouraging interns to become mentors, resulting in 30
mentors who were past Outreachy interns – a significant increase from
previous years.

To further support mentors, a full-time Outreachy mentor advocate -
Tilda Udufo was hired, reflecting the dedication to enhancing the
mentorship experience. The team also conducted office hours, providing a
platform for mentors and coordinators to seek guidance during critical
phases such as the community sign-up period, contribution period, and
internship period.

## 5. Embracing Open Source

Outreachy's commitment to open source and software freedom extended
beyond its internship program. The team embraced platforms like
Mastodon, PeerTube, NextCloud, Big Blue Button, Espanso, and Etherpad,
showcasing a dedication to using and promoting open source software.
This move not only aligns with Outreachy's values but also sets an
example for the wider community.

## 6. Community Engagement

Outreachy didn't limit its impact to its own community. The team
actively spoke about Outreachy at 14 different events and meet-ups,
amplifying the message of diversity and inclusion in open source. These
engagements provided opportunities to share insights, inspire new
contributors, and foster collaborations with like-minded organizations.

Outreachy organizers gave a keynote at FOSSY to celebrate 1,000 interns
and talk about Outreachy's history:

https://archive.org/details/fossy2023-outreachy-celebration

Outreachy organizers also attended the following conferences:

 - Diversity and Inclusion in Scientific Computing (DISC) Unconference
   by NumFocus, PyData Amsterdam, and PyCon Uganda: Report [6]
 - OSCA fest: Report and Video [7][8]
 - Euro Python: Report and Video [9][10]
 - Django Africa: Report [11]
 - Open Life Science program (Open Seed Cohort 8): Report [12]
 - Dublin Developer Relations Meetup (August 2023): Report / Video [13][14]
 - Women TechMakers Karu branch, Abuja FCT, Nigeria: Report [15]
 - FOSS Backstage (Dinner with Outreachy mentors): Report [16]
 - CZI LatAm meeting: Report [17]
 - FOSSY: Report [18]
 - DevFest Cerrado: Report [19]
 - Angola Open Source Community's The Open Source Café: Video [20]

# Looking Ahead to 2024

As Outreachy gears up for the May 2024 cohort, the team is committed to
continuous improvement. Beyond the usual operations, the Outreachy team
has identified key areas for development:

Better mentor support: The Outreachy team will continue to offer more
chances for mentors to connect through office hours, group chats, public
Q&A sessions, and private advice sessions.

Spotlighting Outreachy mentors: The Outreachy team will be running a
series of online chats and blog posts to acknowledge and spotlight the
awesome work Outreachy mentors do to support interns and applicants.

Improved website experience: The Outreachy team will work on user
experience improvements for mentors and coordinators.

Partnering with organizations: The Outreachy team will explore
partnerships with other organizations to increase the reach of our call
for mentors.

Updated longitudinal study: Building on the success of the 2019
longitudinal study, Outreachy is set to conduct another study in 2024.
This updated version will provide valuable insights into the program's
impact and areas for further enhancement.

Outreachy remains steadfast in its mission to foster diversity and
inclusion in open source, and with the ongoing support of the community,
the future looks promising for creating lasting positive change. The
collaborative efforts of interns, mentors, coordinators, and supporters
are shaping a more inclusive and vibrant software freedom landscape.

# Support Outreachy: Your Contribution Matters!

Please donate by January 15 [21]

If you appreciate Outreachy's work, we encourage you to donate to
Software Freedom Conservancy's yearly fundraiser by January 15, 2023.

Outreachy is a core part of Software Freedom Conservancy. Outreachy
would not exist without the support of Software Freedom Conservancy.

Link to original post. [22]

[0] https://nextcloud.sfconservancy.org/apps/photos/public/Jx00FZsOIpRSs6pdOKEvO9MwtLFkJmDp
[1] https://nextcloud.sfconservancy.org/apps/photos/public/BPGgZtATkaKO2RIq6aASC7IKztV6qMCy
[2] https://nextcloud.sfconservancy.org/apps/photos/public/dnE0ZILO4SL5SMCmmaW55tX9EASDt9eu
[3] https://nextcloud.sfconservancy.org/apps/photos/public/9wamsHiEET5DcZsVDXDfIpqMRh0HnDme
[4] https://nextcloud.sfconservancy.org/apps/photos/public/NuGmPTnQma2dDwXeNZlqMTrlf9VkyX83
[5] https://nextcloud.sfconservancy.org/apps/photos/public/kybQNVHcmk81KCSraILEOnm0bWUgucHa
[6] https://medium.com/@omotolaEO/september-2023-productive-by-stretch-6e80afe36ac1
[7] https://medium.com/@omotolaEO/june-2023-milestone-celebration-and-open-source-festival-d9eedb4fc7d1
[8] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kBykVyiPpw%22
[9] https://medium.com/@omotolaEO/outreachy-at-europython-2023-d8dd7917d02
[10] https://youtu.be/423gqlGBT0Y
[11] https://medium.com/@omotolaEO/outreachy-report-november-2023-6e9b0b1137eb
[12] https://medium.com/@omotolaEO/outreachy-report-november-2023-6e9b0b1137eb
[13] https://medium.com/@omotolaEO/august-2023-wrapping-up-a-round-and-getting-ready-for-the-next-200a618d6142
[14] https://youtu.be/m0EZlz689EI?si=MFB0lXM80KGVGr8z
[15] https://medium.com/@omotolaEO/outreachy-report-may-2023-4f8e05355c4f
[16] https://medium.com/@omotolaEO/a-journey-to-berlin-networking-e3d7ee41a97d
[17] https://anna.flourishing.stream/reports/2023/05/01/outreachy-report-april-2023/
[18] https://anna.flourishing.stream/reports/2023/07/25/outreachy-report-july-2023/
[19] https://anna.flourishing.stream/reports/2023/11/30/outreachy-report-november-2023/
[20] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZMH6vbfkFY%22
[21] https://sfconservancy.org/sustainer/
[22] https://www.outreachy.org/blog/2024-01-11/outreachy-2023-in-review/