Programs

Program Organizer When it Happens Who Can Apply Benefits
Google Summer of Code (GSoC) Google Every summer (May–Aug) Students & beginners in open source (18+) Stipend 💰, mentorship, chance to work on big open-source orgs, global recognition
Google Season of Docs Google Annual (around April) Technical writers, students, developers Stipend, mentorship, contribute documentation to open source
Outreachy Software Freedom Conservancy Twice a year Underrepresented groups in tech Paid remote internships, mentorship
Linux Foundation Mentorship Program Linux Foundation Year-round (multiple rounds) Students, beginners, developers Mentorship in Linux kernel & related projects, stipend
MLH Fellowship Major League Hacking 3 batches per year Students/new grads Mentorship, work on real projects, stipend, networking
GitHub Externships (India only) GitHub + Partners Summer/Winter Indian students Work with startups & open-source projects, stipend
Season of KDE KDE Community Annual (Dec–Feb) Students & beginners Mentorship, certificate, experience
Hacktoberfest DigitalOcean + GitHub Every October Anyone Free swag 👕, open-source contributions, beginner-friendly
FOSSASIA CodeHeat FOSSASIA Annual Students & developers Mentorship, swag, possible stipend, recognition
Google Code-In (retired, but important) Google Used to run for pre-university students High-school students Swag, exposure, mentorship (now merged into GSoC focus)
Bitcoin Summer of Code Bitcoin/crypto open-source orgs Summer Students, blockchain enthusiasts Mentorship, stipend, blockchain open-source exposure