Scaling open source access to more students

The All In for Students program is expanding its 2023 cohort, aiming to bring open source education and career preparation to a significantly larger and more diverse group of college students. Following a 2021 pilot that saw all 30 participating students secure internships at companies such as Red Hat, Cisco, Intel, Fidelity, and Microsoft, the program is opening recruitment for a new cohort of 300 students.

Several of those pilot participants received offers to extend their internships or transition to full-time roles upon graduation. The program's goal is to replicate that success by lowering barriers to entry and welcoming students from any major with an interest in technology.

Broadening institutional partnerships

The 2023 cohort will draw from 26 partner colleges and universities, up from seven in the pilot. Recruitment efforts will target a wider range of institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), community colleges, and a school founded for the education of Native Americans.

Nationwide enrollment is also open to students enrolled full- or part-time at an HBCU, HSI, Women's College, or community college, as well as to students at four-year institutions who identify as a racial or ethnic minority.

Revised curriculum and career pathways

Program organizers have trimmed online coursework by 60% to give students more room for hands-on technical experience, career development, and networking. Virtual and in-person hackathons will ensure all participants gain practical technical exposure, and the program will recognize both coding and non-coding contributions.

The updated format also reflects lessons learned from the pilot: not every student wants a role at a large corporation, some cannot commit to a traditional full-time schedule, and not all participants are computer science majors pursuing software engineering. In response, the 2023 program will partner with a broader mix of organizations—including startups, nonprofits, and open source communities—to offer a wider range of opportunities.

Getting involved

Eligible students can apply through the program's application form, and companies or organizations interested in hosting participants can sign up as partners through the All In Open Source website. For questions, contact [email protected].