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Make a mentor recruitment plan #18
Description
(comment via IRC from the most excellent Taggnostr)
- make a recruitment plan for mentors:
- post to python-dev and other ML early (even now)
- explain clearly what a mentor should do and what results they can expect for the project
- As GSoC approaches send more mails (e.g. 6 months before, 3m, 1m, 2weeks)
Activity
terriko commentedon Feb 23, 2018
We've had mediocre success with blind mentor recruitment, so we're not doing any this year -- mentors have to reach out to us to express interest. I'll probably revisit this in some future year if we get a volunteer who can help with this.
BarisTiwari commentedon May 1, 2026
Mentor Recruitment Plan (GSoC)
Objective
To attract experienced and committed mentors for the organization’s participation in Google Summer of Code (GSoC) by ensuring early outreach, clear expectations, and consistent follow-ups.
Begin mentor recruitment well in advance (even before official GSoC announcements).
Post calls for mentors on:
Python-related mailing lists (e.g., python-dev)
Machine Learning and domain-specific mailing lists
Relevant open-source communities and forums
Share announcements on:
GitHub discussions
Project website/blog
Social media channels (LinkedIn, Twitter/X)
Provide a detailed description of mentor responsibilities, including:
Guiding students throughout the coding period
Helping refine project proposals
Conducting regular check-ins and evaluations
Providing technical direction and feedback
Clearly outline expected outcomes, such as:
Successful completion of project milestones
Code contributions merged into the main project
Long-term contributor engagement (if possible)
Mention time commitment expectations (e.g., hours per week).
Highlight benefits of mentoring:
Giving back to the open-source community
Identifying and nurturing new contributors
Improving project quality and visibility
Networking with other developers and organizations
As GSoC approaches, increase outreach frequency:
6 months before:
Initial mentor call and awareness posts
3 months before:
Reminder emails with project ideas and mentor requirements
1 month before:
Focused outreach with finalized project ideas
Encourage sign-ups and confirmations
2 weeks before deadline:
Final call for mentors
Direct outreach to past contributors and active community members
5. Targeted Recruitment
Reach out to:
Previous GSoC mentors and contributors
Active GitHub contributors
Community members who have shown consistent engagement
Use personalized messages for higher conversion.
6. Onboarding Support
Provide mentors with:
A quick-start guide
Communication channels (Slack, Discord, mailing list)
Timeline and evaluation criteria
Optionally host a mentor orientation session.
7. Continuous Engagement
Keep mentors engaged by:
Sharing updates and timelines
Providing support during the student application phase
Recognizing mentor contributions publicly