From Classroom to Cloud - Bridging Academia and the Open Source Ecosystem

Discover how the Interns for Open Source (IFOS) program connects undergraduate and graduate Computer and Information Sciences students with real-world open source projects for academic credit in this 32-minute conference talk from the Linux Foundation. Learn about the 10-week program structure where students bridge classroom theory with practical application by contributing to open source communities through issue tracking and pull requests. Explore how students develop technical skills, master professional workflows, and build portfolios while providing open source projects with fresh perspectives, valuable feedback, usability insights, and rigorous testing. Understand the mutual benefits for both students gaining hands-on experience and open source communities receiving innovative ideas and unbiased input. Gain insights into program implementation, participation requirements, and how educational institutions and open source projects can get involved in this academic-industry collaboration model.