Getting Started With Outreachy: A Comprehensive Guide

Introduction

Securing internships or jobs in tech remains a significant challenge for many individuals due to systemic biases, ranging from socioeconomic barriers to gender or religious discrimination. Outreachy addresses this gap by creating open source opportunities for those facing these biases.

If you have struggled to land a remote, paid tech internship or faced any form of underrepresentation in tech in your country, this program is designed to support your journey.

However, understanding the application process is crucial for a successful internship experience. This guide explains various steps in getting started and provides insights to help you navigate the program effectively.

What Is Outreachy?

Outreachy is a globally recognized internship program dedicated to foster diversity and inclusion in open source and technology communities. It supports individuals from groups underrepresented in tech, including women, transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals, and people facing systemic bias due to ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or geographic location.

Outreachy creates pathways for marginalized groups to enter the tech industry by addressing these systemic bias. The program offers paid, remote internships where participants contribute to open source projects under the guidance of experienced mentors. It also bridges the gap between underrepresented talent and open source organizations through these opportunities.

Additionally, Outreachy provides hands on experience in fields like software development, documentation, design, marketing, and other tech related field. Interns gain real-world project exposure, build professional networks, and develop critical skills needed to thrive in the tech industry.

Why Participate in Outreachy?

Outreachy offers a unique blend of professional growth, financial support, and community impact, making it an ideal opportunity for underrepresented individuals in tech.

For those seeking career development, the program provides hands on experience in open source contributions, a highly valued skill in the tech industry. You work on real-world projects, receive mentorship from experienced professionals, and gain resume-building credentials that can set you apart in competitive job markets. Whether you are transitioning into tech or aiming to specialize further, Outreachy equips you with practical skills and industry connections.

Financially, Outreachy removes barriers by offering a $7,000 USD stipend for its three-month internships. This support allows you to focus entirely on learning and contributing without the stress of balancing unpaid work with other obligations. For many interns, this stipend is transformative, enabling them to dedicate time to skill-building and networking that might otherwise be inaccessible.

Beyond personal growth, your participation directly addresses the diversity gap in tech. Contributing to open source projects used by millions globally will help shape inclusive technologies while advocating for underrepresented voices.

Outreachy’s emphasis on remote work adds another layer of accessibility, accommodating diverse time zones. With outreachy, you will join a global community of contributors who share a commitment to equity and innovation.

Understanding the Outreachy Application Process

The Outreachy internship program runs twice yearly, offering two application rounds, May to August and December to March. If you are not selected in the first round, you can reapply in the second round.

The application process involves three phases designed to assess your commitment, skills, and fit with the program. These include:

1. Initial Application Phase

2. Contribution Phase

3. Final Application Phase

Before applying, ensure you meet Outreachy’s eligibility criteria (details here). This includes factors like residency, availability, and alignment with underrepresented groups in tech.

Initial Application Phase

Photo by Judith Etugbo

The initial application phase requires candidates to reflect on their background and experiences with underrepresentation in the tech industry in their country. This is your opportunity to share your journey. Focus on personal stories that highlight your challenges and the resilience you have built.

Outreachy emphasizes authenticity over perfection: write in your own words, avoid AI-generated content, and prioritize honesty about your experiences rather than worrying about flawless grammar. To strengthen your application, clearly state your ability to commit fully to the internship while answering the questions in your Initial application.

Additionally, include links to credible sources that contextualize systemic bias within the tech industry in your country. For example, share articles or reports about gender inequality, economic disparities, or educational gaps in your country. This helps Outreachy understand the broader challenges you are navigating and underscores why programs like Outreachy matter.

Follow the instructions in the applicants' guide. If you are a student, upload your academic calendar to show your time commitment.

Steps:

1. Create an Account: Visit the Outreachy Website to create your account.

2. Subscribe to Outreachy’s Announcement Mailing List to receive updates about application rounds, deadlines, and program changes.

3. Follow Outreachy on Social Media: Track platforms like Linkedln, X or Mastodon for tips, success stories, and reminders. Also, watch Outreachy’s YouTube videos to understand the program’s culture and expectations.

4. Review the Official Application Guide: Once applications open, visit the Outreachy website carefully read the eligibility criteria and timelines.

5. Draft Your Essays: Reflect on your experiences with systemic bias in tech and your career journey. Highlight past experiences (even non-technical ones) that show resilience.

6. Finalize and Preview Your Application: Double check for errors, ensure links work, and verify all answers align with Outreachy’s mission.

7. Submit Your Application: Submit on time and before the deadline (Outreachy does not accept late applications).

8. Await Confirmation: You will receive an email confirming whether you have advanced to the contribution phase. Check your spam or promotions folders. If accepted, read the email carefully to learn how to prepare for the next phase. If you are not accepted, stay involved in communities and reapply.

   Many applicants hesitate to apply due to doubts about their experience. Acquaint yourself with the necessary information here

Contribution Phase

Photo by Judith Etugbo

The Contribution Phase focuses on aligning your skills with a project’s goals while learning and through meaningful collaboration. This one month period is critical for establishing your role within the community and delivering work that meets the project’s standards.

This phase is crucial in the selection of interns for the internship period. While some projects state the number of interns they will accept, others do not.

Below are structured steps to maximize your impact:

1. Research and Select Projects Carefully: Go to the projects page and identify projects that resonate with your skills. Review repositories, analyze issue trackers, and participate in discussions to identify gaps where your skills could add value.

2. Engage with the Community: After selecting a project, visit its official page and join communication channels such as Slack, Discord, and forums. Introduce yourself respectfully to mentors and contributors, stating your intent to contribute. Adhere to community guidelines, ask clarifying questions, offer help to others and build rapport.

   See link on how to find a mentor.

3. Explore Project Requirements: Thoroughly review the project’s documentation, contribution guidelines, and code of conduct. Explore the codebase or documentation structure to understand workflows, tools, and technical standards. For non technical roles like writing, and design, study style guides and existing materials to align with the project’s tone.

4. Start with Small, High-Quality Contributions: Start with good first issues such as fixing typos, resolving minor bugs, or improving documentation. For writers, ensure originality by citing sources and avoiding AI generated content. Follow project standards, test your work, and document your process to demonstrate accountability.

5. Collaborate and Iterate: Submit contributions through pull requests or designated platforms and proactively seek feedback from mentors. Engage in discussions, address review comments constructively, and refine your work iteratively. As confidence grows, take on moderately complex tasks like optimizing code, enhancing accessibility, or drafting tutorials.

6. Record Your Contribution: Record every contribution you make for your selected project, as this is an eligibility criteria for being selected. This contribution includes issues or tasks assigned and approved by mentors.

7. Scale Your Impact: Tackle advanced challenges that align with the project’s roadmap. Maintain regular communication with mentors, and document your progress to showcase growth.

The contribution phase is intensive and somewhat demanding. Don’t let pressure define you. Feeling overwhelmed is natural, but it doesn’t reflect your potential. Here are some tips to scale through this phase:

1. Focus on Learning, Not Perfection: Your goal isn’t to know everything upfront but to grow through the process.

2. Prioritize quality over quantity.

3. Trust the process: As your contributions accumulate, so will your confidence. The skills you gain here, such as problem solving, collaboration, and resilience, will outlast any temporary doubts.

For detailed guidance on contributing, refer to Outreachy’s contribution guidelines.

Final Application Phase

Photo by Judith Etugbo

The final application phase occurs after completing your contributions, typically during the last week of the contribution period. However, you can begin drafting your application while actively contributing to streamline the process. Here’s how to approach this critical stage:

1. Prepare Early: Start organizing your work as you contribute. Outreachy explicitly requires applicants to have active, recorded contributions to qualify for internship selection. Maintain a detailed log of tasks you have completed, such as resolved issues, merged pull requests, or documentation updates.

2. Submit Your Contribution: Gather evidence of your contributions, including:

• Links to code commits, design files, or written content.

• Screenshots or summaries of community interactions such as forum discussions.

• Documentation of project specific tasks you’ve tackled.

3. Write Your Final Application: The Outreachy final application asks four questions.

• Past experience with the chosen open source community (detailing prior engagement as a user or contributor)

• Experience in other communities highlighting involvement in similar projects

• Relevant projects showcasing personal, academic, or professional work that aligns with the internship’s skills, with links if applicable, and

• GSoC plans listing concurrent applications to Google Summer of Code, including mentor contacts, to enhance internship chances. This is optional

4. Create a Project Timeline: Break the project into weekly tasks matching the internship period. Start by understanding goals, then build a flexible schedule. Include biweekly check-ins for feedback and alignment. Depending on your mentor, some may ask you to create a high level timeline to see your understanding of the project scope.

4. Engage Proactively with Mentors: Check in with mentors to review your progress. Share drafts of your application materials for feedback and clarify any uncertainties about project expectations or internship goals.

5. Review and Refine: Proofread your application for clarity, consistency, and alignment with Outreachy’s criteria. Ensure all contribution links are functional and properly credited. Highlight how your work addressed project needs or advanced its mission.

6. Submit with Confidence: Once finalized, submit your application through Outreachy’s platform before the deadline. Double check that all required materials are attached, including contribution proofs and personal statements.

7. Wait for the Announcement of Selected Interns: After submitting your final application, your mentors will review all your contributions within a speculated period, usually one month after the contribution phase. If you are selected, you will receive an email; if not, you can apply for the next round. The announcement of selected interns will also be shared on all Outreachy social platforms.

Scaling Through The Application Process

To maximize your experience, follow these best practices:

Communicate Effectively

Maintain consistent communication with mentors to clarify expectations and address misunderstandings promptly. Provide regular updates to mentors about your progress, including milestones achieved and challenges encountered. Transparency builds trust and allows mentors to offer timely guidance.

Actively participate in community discussions by asking thoughtful questions, share insights, and collaborate on solutions. This fosters relationships, demonstrates initiative, and helps you integrate into the project’s culture.

Manage Your Time

Balance internship tasks with personal or professional commitments. Break large objectives into smaller, weekly goals. Prioritize tasks based on urgency and impact, but avoid overcommitting by setting realistic deadlines. Schedule regular breaks to recharge, as sustainable productivity hinges on mental clarity and avoiding burnout.

Learn and Grow

Approach challenges as opportunities to expand your skill set. Tackling complex tasks, such as debugging unfamiliar code or drafting technical guides, accelerates learning and builds resilience. Document your journey by maintaining a log of completed work, lessons learned, and feedback received. This habit highlights your growth and creates a reference for future projects.

For instance, noting how you resolved a persistent error can streamline problem-solving in similar scenarios later.

Don’t Procrastinate

Procrastination can undermine even the most well planned projects. Start contributing early to allow time for revisions and in-depth work.

Don’t Rush

Prioritize quality over quantity a single well tested feature or thoroughly researched document often holds more value than multiple rushed tasks.

If I Could Turn Back Time

Reflecting on my Outreachy journey so far, here’s how I’d approach the process differently and how you can set yourself up for success.

For the initial application phase:

What I Wish I’d Done:

1. Reviewed testimonials and Q&A sessions from past interns shared on Outreachy’s social channels or blogs.

2. Joined communities of previous Outreachy projects to observe workflows and communication dynamics.

What You Can Do Better:

1. Start Early, Stay Consistent: Begin contributing to open source projects aligned with your skills, even minor fixes like updating documentation or testing features, and build confidence with tools like Git.

2. Study the Guidelines Thoroughly: Bookmark and reread Outreachy’s Applicant Guide to avoid missing critical steps.

3. Engage: Follow Outreachy on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Mastodon for deadline reminders and tips. Message past interns for advice on balancing contributions with personal commitments.

4. Draft Essays Ahead of Time: Essay prompts are publicly available.

For the contribution phase: This phase can feel overwhelming. I nearly quit due to the steep learning curve and self doubt. But pushing through taught me resilience. Here’s how to navigate it without succumbing to pressure:

1. Focus on one issue or task

2. Track progress in a journal: Note merged pull requests, positive feedback, or even lessons from mistakes.

3. Ask Questions Mindfully: Research thoroughly before approaching mentors; for example, review documentation and existing chats.

4. Lean on Community Support: Engage in forums or chats to troubleshoot collaboratively. Helping others with their issues can also deepen your understanding.

Remember:
Progress in open source is rarely linear. A mentor once told me, The frustration of ‘not knowing today becomes the confidence of ‘mastery’ tomorrow.Embrace challenges as growth opportunities.

Final Note

The Outreachy internship is a transformative experience that offers a unique opportunity to grow personally and professionally. By following these steps and staying committed to your goals, you can make the most of your time in the program.

Remember, the Outreachy journey is not just about completing tasks; it is about learning, growing, and becoming part of a community that supports diversity and inclusivity in tech.

Next Step

For further guidance, use these resources:

• Outreachy Website.

• Outreachy Blog