Nurturing the Next Generation of Open Source Contributors

Explore strategies for building sustainable open source communities by engaging students as contributors in this 39-minute conference talk from the Linux Foundation. Learn how CodeDay, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping students find their place in technology, has successfully collaborated with high school and college students since 2009 to develop open-source software for their events and has spent the last four years helping thousands of students get involved in open-source projects. Discover the mental barriers students face when approaching coding and open source contribution, understand how to create effective mentorship resources, and identify what resources projects need to build lasting relationships with student contributors. Gain practical insights drawn from a decade of experience working with thousands of students, and leave with a comprehensive framework for establishing mutually beneficial partnerships between open source projects and the next generation of developers. Address the growing challenge of contributor and maintainer shortages that threaten the long-term sustainability of open source development by tapping into the enthusiasm and potential of student communities.