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Program Overview
Linux Foundation The LF Networking (LFN) is looking to engage student developers in intern/mentorship program is aimed at creating a structured hands-on learning opportunity for new developers who may otherwise lack the opportunity to gain exposure to open source software development , with opportunities to gain hands on experience, by working with the industry’s leading technologists contributing to Industry leading open source networking projects (OPNFV, ONAP, FD.io, ODL etc..) . We welcome interns from anywhere in the world.
LFN Internships are for University or College students who are interested in contributing to real-world impactful Open Source projects. Each intern will be working with a mentor from the LFN project community to complete a project either in 3 months (full time 40 hours a week) or 6 months (part time 20 hours a week). This is a paid internship program that accepts applications throughout the year and the internship projects start on a quarterly schedule (e.g. Jan 1, April 1, June/July 1, and September 1). As an open source project, each intern will work remotely from his or her location of choice.
Looking for ODL or OPNFV Internships? You have found them. Individual community internship programs from OPNFV and ODL have merged and rebranded under LFN Internship program.
Typical timeline for internship
3-month internship
Week 0: Kick-off meeting with mentor(s) (15% start-up stipend paid in weeks 1-2)
Week 6: Mid-term review (40% of the stipend paid)
Week 12: Final review (remaining 45% stipend paid)
6-month internship
Week 0: Kick-off meeting with mentor(s) (15% start-up stipend paid in weeks 1-2)
Week 6: 1st review (20% of the stipend paid)
Week 12: Mid-term review (20% of the stipend paid)
Week 18: 3rd review (20% of the stipend paid)
Week 24: Final review (remaining 25% stipend paid)
If you have any questions about the internship program, send an email to LFN-Internship@linuxfoundation.org.
Stipend & Eligibility
You must be at least 18 years of age. You must be a full or part-time student currently enrolled in an accredited university/college academic program and will return to school after summer or who will have just graduated from college Spring 2018 or have been accepted for the fall term as a first-year student. You must be eligible to work in the country you reside in during the program
LFN will pay you a stipend, similar to the tiered structure of Google Summer of Code pay rates. The stipend will be paid in several installments provided that project evaluations by mentors show the intern is making satisfactory progress. The final installment will be paid upon successful project completion.
Participants will be in good standing if they have used their best efforts to complete their Project Work Product. Whether or not you are in good standing is within the sole judgment of your Volunteer Mentor upon consultation with the Program coordinators. You understand and agree that LFN does not have the ability to control, direct, or instruct the Volunteer Mentor’s judgment regarding your good standing. You may request that the Program coordinators review the Volunteer Mentor's decision.
Suggested Payment Schedule
3-month internship
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6-month internship
- Week 1-2: 15% will be sent to you if you have begun your Project.
- ~Week 6: 20% of the stipend will be sent to you if you are in good standing with your Volunteer Mentor
- ~Week 12: 20% of the stipend will be sent to you if you are in good standing with your Volunteer Mentor
- ~Week 18: 20% of the stipend will be sent to you if you are in good standing with your Volunteer Mentor
- At the conclusion of your internship: the remaining 25% of the stipend will be sent to you if your Volunteer Mentor has determined that you have successfully completed your internship.
How to Apply: Instructions for Students
If you are interested participating in an internship project, follow the application process below:
1. Review the latest internship project ideas
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ONAP Intern Projects (Coming Soon)
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Feel free to contact the mentor(s) for the projects that you are interested in to learn more about the project and what the mentor(s) are looking for in an intern project
3. Write a project plan in response to a project that interests you: See the guidelines below
4. Submit your project plan to lfn-internship@linuxfoundation.org . Feel free to submit plans for up to 3 project proposals.
Project plan guidelines
You can use any document format (e.g. .doc, .pdf, .txt, etc.) of your choice, but please include the following information in your project plan.
Project (ODL, OPNFV, FD.io, ONAP, etc)
Project Proposal Title
Preferred length of internship: 3 months (~40 hours/week) or 6 months (~20 hours/week)
Name of mentor(s)
Why you are interested in this project and the reason you’re the best individual to do so.
Details of your academic, industry and/or open source development experience, as well as other information you think are relevant
If you have worked on other open source projects, please provide pointers to the code you worked on/contributed.
Proposed project timelines/deliverables
Your contact information (e.g. email, IRC, phone, etc.)
One or two references
Finally, please include a proof of current academic status (e.g. transcript or copy of student ID).
Please remember to keep your plans concise and simple. We're not expecting you to write a 10-page essay.
Tips for Mentors
Proposing a Project
If you are interested in mentoring an internship project, you can start by adding a new project proposal at respective project intern projects pages.
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ONAP Intern Projects (Coming Soon)
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and entry to the LFN projects' technical communities. It also provides a more defined path for LFN projects to connect with the next generation of student developers to inject more talent into their developer base. Each mentee will apply and be matched with a mentor or mentors who are active developers and technologists contributing to the industry's leading open source networking projects such as Nephio, ONAP, Anuket, OpenDaylight, FD.io. Each mentee will work remotely from his/her location of choice. Regular evaluation and feedback will be provided. Mentees who have done outstanding work may have the opportunity to travel to an LFN conference/event to meet their peers and mentors face-to-face and to present their work to the broader community.
Potential Benefits for Student Mentees
Mentees gain exposure to real-world software development by working closely with active developers in the community
Mentees get introduced to open source development infrastructure, tooling, and culture
Mentees have the hands-on opportunity to do work related to their academic and professional interests and to further the pursuit of those interests
Mentees develop close working relationships with open source professionals and industry business leaders to expand their professional network
Potential Benefits for LFN Projects
- More source code gets written and used for the benefit of all
The mentorship program helps create a pipeline to a diverse, well-educated pool of developers
The mentorship program helps spread the word about LFN projects and its related technologies at academic institutions and increases academia’s interest in the teaching and research of the technologies
The mentorship program helps LFN gain valuable insight into new developer onboarding processes and how to lower the barriers to entry for new developers.
The mentorship program creates positive press for LFN via student testimonials, brand recognition, and peer-to-peer messaging
Mentee Stipends
Mentees will be eligible to receive a stipend. The total stipend amount will be calculated using a tiered structure based on the country where the mentee resides when participating in the program. The stipend will be paid upon successful project completion.
Travel Funding
Mentees who have done an outstanding work may be invited and be provided travel funding by LFN to attend a technical event and present their work to the broader community.
Travel funding is subject to restrictions based on COVID and other geopolitics outside of the Linux Foundation's control.
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Questions?
Please email mentorship@lfnetworking.org
See Previous Mentee Work and Spotlights
- LF Networking Blog Post by Mentee Nicholas Karimi (2021)
- FD.io Intern Spotlight: Javier Fernandez Valles
- OPNFV Intern Spotlight: Sofia Enriquez
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Choosing an Intern
We require that you conduct an interview (e.g. via Skype, Google Hangout, etc.) with your prospective intern. The interview can simply be a casual conversation. It will help you evaluate your intern's level of preparedness, qualifications, motivation, and communication styles. It will also offer the opportunity to collaboratively fine-tune the project plan and project outcomes based on the project's needs and your intern's background and skill set.
Mentoring an Intern
Mentorship is be critical for a successful internship project. Please remember that in many cases, you will be working with students in a different part of the world, so an effective communication and guidance will be crucial.
Communicate: Communicate with your intern often, whether it is to provide feedback, offer training, or check on the intern’s progress. By keeping the line of communication open you will build trust, respect, and a positive relationship that facilitates the successful completion of the project.
Mentor: Schedule a regular review meeting with your intern. Mentorship is a critical and essential part of an internship experience, and an attribute that differentiates from regular employment. As a mentor, it’s important to give your intern honest feedback on professionalism and career preparedness.
Connect: To foster learning outside of your intern’s job duties, encourage your intern to develop relationships outside or his or her immediate team. Allowing your intern to gain a broader understanding of your project team, industry, and potential career paths can help generate new ideas and make him or her a more effective contributing member. Inviting interns to participate in project team or working group meetings is an great way to build a connection between the intern and the rest of the community.
Revisit: Periodically revisit the learning objectives and expected outcomes established at the beginning of the internship. Discuss what the student has learned and how it can be applied in the future. Be flexible to adjust the project scope, learning objectives, and outcomes based on the intern's background and skill set.
Additional resources on mentorship can found at these external sites:
Expectations
- Provide ample documentation for your proposed project, including a getting started guide.
- Prepare and test any packages or VMs prior to your Interns start date
- Verify all patches submitted by your Intern
- Ensure that you have sufficient bandwidth to meet with your Intern a minimum of once per week and respond to any questions that may arise.
- Share contact information with community members who may be able to help your Interns in case you are not available.
- Set expectations and milestones for your Intern each week and discuss outcome of expectations during evaluations.
- Keep track of milestone progress to share with the Linux Foundation as midterm and final evaluations.
- Notify Internship Program Leadership of any Intern issues (Lack of participation, communication or vacations).
- Provide Midterm and Final evaluation reports within 1 week the perspective dates.
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- CENGN Webinar: CENGN Intern Aarti, speaks about OPNFV third Colorado Release! Watch the video to learn more and read about her experience!
- OPNFV Video: OPNFV Intern Interview: Zahra Jahedi
- OPNFV Video: OPNFV Intern Interview: Daniel Tudares
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