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). Please first review the eligibility requirements to determine if you're eligible to apply. 

Step 2: discover projects

Carefully review the 9 LF Networking mentorship projects that are open for applications in 2020 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 if you are qualified.
• 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. Make sure the program timeline and schedule will fit into your summer and school schedule. 

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

Step 3: contact mentor(s)

This step is optional. Feel free to contact the mentor(s) for the projects that you are interested in to learn more and to 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 be receiving a large volume of questions from interested applicants.

Step 4: 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, or a scan of student ID, or 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 to?
• 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 5: apply on LFX Mentorship Platform

CommunityBridge, developed by The Linux Foundation, of which LF Networking is part of, 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)
• View all projects and search by "LF Networking" to see all 8 LF Networking projects open for application
• Click on the specific LF Networking projects to read about the project details on CommunityBridge
• Be sure to "View Site" to take you to the corresponding wiki page for complete project information
• When ready, click "Apply" on CommunityBridge and remember you can apply up to 3 projects
• Complete the application prerequisites: latest resume, cover letter, and proof of enrollment

Please review detailed application instructions that may further assist your application on CommunityBridge.

Questions? 

Please email mentorship@lfnetworking.org