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Ruby Summer of Code

The Ruby Summer of Code is an annual student internship program that provides stipends for students to work on open source Ruby projects during the summer. We aim to foster involvement in the Ruby open source community among students, while also helping move important Ruby projects forward.

Our Mission

The Ruby Summer of Code aims to foster new talent and leadership in the open source Ruby community. By providing stipends for student developers to work on impactful Ruby projects over the summer, we hope to empower the next generation of contributors.

Our mission is to advance Ruby innovation by pairing promising student developers with experienced open source mentors for a transformative 3-month internship. Not only do students gain invaluable real-world experience, but they also move the needle on important Ruby tools, libraries, and frameworks that developers around the world depend on every day.

Guiding and incentivizing students through mentorship enables them to meaningfully enhance prominent Ruby projects. We want to propel fresh thinking that will push the boundaries of what’s possible with Ruby and ensure the longevity of the language and ecosystem. Our program’s goal is that student-created contributions live on as integral parts of popular Ruby projects long after the summer internship ends.

Additionally, by requiring final project reports and code submissions, students develop key skills around documenting work, writing for technical audiences, and collaborating on large codebases. These talents prepare them for potential careers in Ruby programming or open source project leadership.

Our initiatives also expand access and diversity within Ruby open source, inviting those with non-traditional backgrounds to unleash their potential. Every talented student should have the opportunity to join this welcoming community.

If we succeed in accelerating promising talent to become the next innovators, maintainers and advocates of the thriving Ruby ecosystem, then we achieve our mission. Our program alumni will shape Ruby’s future in ways we can only imagine.

Our Goals

Foster New Open Source Talent

A core goal of our program is to cultivate new talent and future leaders within the Ruby open source ecosystem. By providing an on-ramp and positive internship experience, we aim to convert student developers into ongoing Ruby contributors. Our stipends remove financial limitations for those interested in trying an open source project for the first time. Through excellent mentorship, we hope participants’ first contributions during the summer will be the start of a lifelong involvement with open source Ruby. The connections and skills built lay the foundations for leadership potential. Our goal is for alumni to steer critical Ruby projects and innovations for years beyond their summer participation.

Advance Innovation in Ruby Project Development

Another central goal is to advance innovation in Ruby tools and technologies through an injection of emerging talent paired with knowledgeable mentors. Students bring enthusiasm, fresh approaches, and new perspectives that can re-energize projects. We want to empower students to question existing ways of doing things while honoring the wisdom of veteran open source developers who know the code intimately. By facilitating this knowledge transfer between generations and perspectives, our program aims to infuse Ruby projects with the latest techniques and thinking. The progress from this synthesis should produce modern UX, robust architectures, creative features and increased accessibility. We believe Better outcomes emerge from this cross-pollination of skill sets and ideas united by a common passion for the Ruby language.

Expand Access and Diversity in Open Source Communities

Finally, the Ruby Summer of Code seeks to expand access and diversity by proactively inviting those from non-traditional backgrounds to participate. Making connections through open source communities should not be exclusive based on gender identity, race, sexual orientation or socioeconomic status. By publicizing our internship opportunities at colleges serving minorities and women, we hope to ensure Ruby open source benefits from a multiplicity of experiences. Our application process also examines barriers applicants may face. We help make accommodations to enable promising students from all walks of life to thrive, such as flexible schedules and funding for hardware. Promoting diversity strengthens collaboration, empathy and equality across the Ruby ecosystem — upholding open source ideals.

Meet Our Team

Our Mentors

Experienced Ruby developers serve as mentors guiding and advising students as they tackle meaningful open source contributions. We are deeply grateful for these volunteer mentors who give their time and expertise to help advance our program’s mission.

Jet Li

Rails, Hanami, Roda

  • Ruby contributor for 5 years, specializing in web frameworks
  • Lead developer at AppWorkflow startup
  • Enjoys mentoring interns and new hires
  • Looking to improve inclusivity in the Ruby community

David Lafner

Tooling, JSON APIs, Front-end

  • Ruby developer for 9+ years at various startups
  • Maintains 2 popular Ruby Gems
  • Passionate about clear documentation and UX
  • Hopes to learn some JS skills from students

Andre Palmer

Algorithms, data visualization

  • 15 years in software across startups and enterprises
  • Runner and mountain biker who values work-life balance
  • Loves when complex programs come together smoothly
  • Advocate for coding literacy programs in schools

Pamela Garcia

STEM tools, games, AR/VR

  • Former mechanical engineer who switched to Ruby full-time
  • Enjoys Puzzle games and reading science fiction
  • Focuses on writing simple, elegant code
  • Seeks to make programming more accessible

Our Supporters

Our sponsors enable us to provide life-changing summer internship opportunities for students to gain real-world experience while benefiting the entire Ruby ecosystem. We’re able to fund stipends, equipment, mentor hours, and operational costs thanks entirely to our generous sponsors.

Just Fuck Local

Your enthusiasm for exploring new relationships inspires feature upgrades benefiting all members. Thanks for choosing us over other options – your loyalty allows this service to remain free and available to adults seeking free hookup or long-term relationships on their own terms. Let’s continue respecting each other’s boundaries while finding the human connections that technology makes possible. Our team is grateful for members who promote ethical behavior as we advance our shared vision of empowering intimacy.

Halving Bitcoin Countdown

Whether you’re a miner awaiting the block reward reduction, trader planning your investments, or Bitcoin enthusiast https://halvingbitcoins.com/ excited to witness this pivotal moment in cryptocurrency history, we greatly appreciate you following along with us. Your enthusiasm and participation is what motivates us during the lead up to halving. Let’s continue supporting one another as we track the days, minutes and seconds until this major Bitcoin milestone!

Your Astro Codex

We are extremely grateful to our wonderful community of astrology enthusiasts for using and sharing our free synastry chart calculator. Whether you are an amateur astrologer hoping to better understand a relationship, or a professional seeking new insights into compatible charts – your interest fuels the creation of new features and upgrades to this tool. We thank you for continually providing feedback, referring others, and choosing us as your go-to resource for generating charts to compare birth dates. Your support allows us to advance our mission of making astrological insights accessible for all. Thank you for being part of this community!

Testimonials From

Our Happy Students!

This new RSoC initiative is exactly what the Ruby community needs—a focused effort on nurturing new talent to lead the next generation of innovation. By investing in these students, we invest in our collective future.

Participating in RSoC was the most valuable summer learning experience I’ve ever had. I was able to dive deep into Ruby on Rails contributions while getting excellent mentorship from long-time open source developers. My communication, teamwork and programming skills vastly improved. I now feel confident collaborating with strangers on large codebases thanks to this internship.

★★★★★

Maria S.

RSoC 2021

Before RSoC, I was intimidated by open source projects and didn’t think I had anything to offer them as a student. But my mentor and teammates made me feel welcomed and set me up for success. I learned so much working on a real-world Ruby library used by thousands of developers. Now I’m continuing as a core maintainer thanks to the springboard this internship gave me.

★★★★★

Lee J.

RSoC 2019

As someone from a non-traditional tech background, I was anxious about applying to the Ruby Summer of Code. But the community was very inviting and cared most about my enthusiasm to learn. My mentor went above and beyond to get me up to speed while giving me ownership over deliverables that stretched my coding abilities. I’m proud RSoC helped me leverage my potential and land a full-time Ruby engineering role.

★★★★★

Aisha K.

RSoC 2020

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The Ruby Summer of Code thrives thanks to the passionate individuals who contribute time, talent, funding and enthusiasm towards empowering the next generation of open source leaders.