My Outreachy Application Journey: Explained

Hello Everyone!

As promised, I am excited to present you with a detailed blog that explains the application process of Outreachy.

So, without wasting any time, let's dive right in!

What is Outreachy ?

• Outreachy: A unique and inclusive internship program offering:

  • Three-month remote internships with open-source projects and organizations. Offering 7000 USD.

  • Bridging the diversity gap in the tech industry.

  • Internships are available in various roles: coding, design, documentation, and marketing.

Application Stages:

Outreachy's application process is designed to consist of two rounds of application submission. Let's take a closer look at each stage:

1. Initial Application

2. Final/Technical Application:

   Let me take you through the detailed timeline and dive into the specifics of each round, offering specific details and much more. Enjoy the exploration!

Initial Application:

The initial application asks basic questions to assess your eligibility, such as whether you're 18 years or older.

Heart of the application: These essay-type questions form the core of your initial application, representing the essence of who you are and what you bring to the table.

Internship Cohorts:

• May to August: Eligible for Northern Hemisphere students (including Indian students).

• December to March: Eligible for Southern Hemisphere students.

• Non-students can apply to either cohort.

Timeline:

I submitted my Initial application on 18 January 2023.

I received a confirmation email on March 6, 2023. (Yay!! 🎉)

Let me explain using an example from my application.

Q2. Are you part of an underrepresented group (in the technology industry of the country listed above)? How are you underrepresented?

Ans: I presented my background in a non-fictional format, sharing specific research-based insights to support my explanation.

In India, women face challenges in pursuing STEM careers due to factors such as low literacy rates and societal pressure to marry early. The tech industry in India is predominantly male-dominated, with less than 1% representation of women in top-level leadership positions despite over 51% of entry-level recruits being women. As a female Computer Science student, I overcame obstacles and defied gender stereotypes by choosing to pursue computer science instead of a medical career. Despite failing my medical entrance exams twice, I persevered and decided to pursue a Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) program, which allows me to delve into the world of development and programming.

Q3. What systemic bias or discrimination would you face if you applied for a job in the technology industry of your country?

Ans: Attaching a small snippet from my application. You got the point, right?

Women are entitled to paid maternity leave that lasts around 6-9 months, while paternity leaves last just for a week. This is often perceived as a “burden” on the company and puts married women at a disadvantage.

In the remaining two answers, feel free to share your personal struggles and achievements in a captivating storytelling format.

Q6. (Optional) Content warnings.

Ans: If your essays do not touch upon topics like "violence," "sexual assault," or "war," you can skip this paragraph. It serves as a heads-up for reviewers, allowing them to mentally prepare before delving into your essays.

Final Application:

Work closely with your mentor to gather additional details, as each organization has its own unique process for project-specific tasks in order to write your final proposal.

1. Making Contributions:

What is a contribution?

A contribution can be something small, like a bug fix or a documentation improvement.

What are recording contributions?

• Applicants with an approved initial application will move on to the contribution period.

  • Document contributions on Outreachy website.

  • Include links to pull requests( PR) and a brief description.

• Applicants are expected to create a comprehensive final application or proposal for the project they are applying to, similar to the process in GSOC (Google Summer of Code).

• If applying for multiple projects, separate project proposals need to be created for each project.

And you are done. ✅

"Celebration: I'm thrilled to be a part of this cohort, and what makes it truly special is that this round marks a significant milestone as Outreachy celebrates accepting 1,000 interns!"🎉🤩

How cool right ❓❓

It's incredible to see how much the internship program has grown. It all started back in 2006 with just 6 interns in the GNOME Women's Summer Outreachy program. In 2010, the Outreachy Program for Women welcomed 8 interns. Then, in 2015, they rebranded the program as Outreachy. Now, in the May 2023 cohort, Outreachy proudly accepted 63 interns. With the addition of this cohort, the total number of interns accepted by Outreachy reaches an impressive 1,076.

I can't contain my excitement of this remarkable celebration! Attending the event is an honor and a fantastic opportunity to cherish this wonderful milestone.

Conclusion:

Your Hard work Will Look Like this:

Outreachy Website: https://www.outreachy.org/

My Socials: linktr.ee/anishasingh25

More blogs coming....