Application Steps 

Step 1: Review eligibility

The LF Networking Mentorship Program is aimed at providing a structured and guided learning opportunity for college and university students interested in becoming open source contributors to the LF Networking project communities. We welcome students enrolled in accredited higher education institutions across the globe to apply (some restrictions may apply). 

• Be at least 18 years old by the time the mentorship program starts.

• Not be a prior or an active participant in another Linux Foundation mentorship program.

• Apply to a maximum of three (3) mentorship programs in one term. The programs from which a mentee withdraws during the application period don't count toward this limit.

• You may not be a participant in a prior Linux Foundation Mentorship program

• Be eligible to work in the country and jurisdiction where you will participate in the mentorship program.

• Not reside in a country or jurisdiction where participation in the mentorship is prohibited under applicable U.S. federal, state, or local laws or the laws of other countries.

• Apply to participate on one's own behalf as an individual.

• Not be subject to any existing obligations to third parties (such as contractual obligations to an employer) that would restrict or prohibit participation in a mentorship program.

• Meet all criteria set by the program to which a mentee applies, i.e. all prerequisites and requirements.

• Not be a maintainer, recurring contributor, etc.. with more than minimal involvement with the open source project that offers a mentorship program.

Step 2: Discover projects

Carefully review the LF Networking mentorship projects that are open for applications in 2023 and identify which project(s) you're interested in.

• Ask yourself which projects you are the most excited or curious about exploring. The project descriptions, learning objectives and outcomes, and any additional information or links on the project page may give you some insight. 
• Ask yourself which projects are a better fit for your profile. Be sure to read about the educational level and skills required or desired to evaluate your qualifications.
• Lastly, some mentorships require Summer FT (full-time) commitment (40 hours a week for 12 consecutive weeks from June to August) or Summer PT (part-time) commitment (20 hours a week for 24 consecutive weeks from June to November) while others allow both options. Ensure the program timeline and schedule fit into your summer and school schedule. 

Each applicant may apply for multiple but no more than THREE projects. We recommend you focus your effort on 2 projects and submit a quality application for those two projects.   

Step 3: Prepare application materials

Besides collecting standard demographic and contact information on the application, we will ask you to upload your resume, a cover letter, and proof of enrollment (college transcript, a scan of student ID, or a letter of admissions offer for those who are graduating from high school). The cover letter will ask you to address the following questions:

• How did you find out about our program?
• Why are you interested in the project(s) you're applying to?
• What experience and knowledge/skills do you have that are applicable to the requirements of the project(s) you're applying?
• What do you hope to get out of this experience?
  

Remember, your cover letter should demonstrate not only you're qualified but also passionate about becoming active contributors and future leaders in the LF Networking open source communities through this experience. 

Step 4: Contact mentor(s)

Feel free to contact the mentor(s) for the projects you are interested in to learn more and clarify any information that's unclear to you.

• You may be able to discover more about the desirable background and skills of the mentee the mentor(s) are looking to work with.
• We have learned that the best applications are often from students who took the time to interact and discuss their ideas with the mentors before submitting an application.
• But be thoughtful with your questions, as our mentors may receive many questions from interested applicants.
• Once you are ready, email all of your application materials to your mentors and CC Casey Cain at mentorship@lfnetworking.org 
• Due to the volume of applications, you may not receive a reply until the application period ends. Please be patient and review the program timeline.

Step 5: Create an account on LFX Mentorship Platform

LFX, developed by The Linux Foundation, of which LF Networking is the portal where the LF Networking mentorship projects are listed and mentee applications will be taken.

• Go to LFX Mentorship Platform
• Create Your Mentee Profile (you will need to create an LFID first you don't already have one)
• * Note for 2023 Mentorships.
  • Due to a bug with the Mentorship platform, only accepted candidates will need to make a profile in the LFX platform.
  • We will only be accepting applications from those who use the "Click here to Apply" link provided on the proposals here on the wiki.

Questions? 

Please email mentorship@lfnetworking.org