Saturday, March 12, 2011

Now Accepting Applications for Google Summer of Code Projects

The PSF is preparing its submission to participate in the Google Summer of Code again this year. The first step in that process is to solicit applications from projects that want to participate, and the call for submissions is now officially open.

Google Summer of Code

Google Summer of Code (GSoC) offers stipends to college students who write code for open source software projects. The program works by pairing students with mentors from participating projects to benefit both groups. Students are exposed to real-world software development practices, and the mentoring projects gain new contributors. More than 4,500 students and 4,000 mentors have participated in the program since its beginning in 2005. Contributions have come from over 85 countries around the world, making GSoC a truely global effort to improve the state of open source software.

Requirements for Participating Projects

Although any project is able to apply to participate directly in the Google Summer of Code, the application period with Google is closed for this year. Fortunately, the PSF also sponsors Python-related projects that need an umbrella organization to assist with the administration work for GSoC. In order to qualify for PSF sponsorship, projects must be prepared to provide at least three mentors to act as guides for students over the course of the summer. Projects also needs a well-defined method of team communication, such as a mailing list or dedicated IRC channel.

To submit your project for consideration, fill out the online application. More details about the PSF's involvement in GSoC is available on the 2011 Summer of Code page.