All About Open Mainframe Project Mentorship Program 2021

There are many open-source programs for university students where they can learn, earn and contribute to some great projects and software. Open Source contribution has its own perks which are really very beneficial for college students. There are many Open Source programs which are quite popular nowadays – some of them are Google Summer of Code, Google Season of Docs, MLH fellowship, Outreachy and many other where you enhance your existing skills through open source contributions. 

But in this article, you will get to know about a program which is of a completely different domain from all these programs. If you are into development or programming then you might know about mainframe technology and open source in the mainframe computing environment. So the program which we will discuss in this article is mainly based on mainframe technology and respective open-source contributions.

Open Mainframe Project Mentorship Program

Coming straight to the program, Open Mainframe Project Mentorship Program is the open-source program that is hosted by the Linux Foundation and aims to introduce everyone to the mainframe community and development environment on Linux. Making you familiar with development and deployment on the Linux environment is among the top goals of the Open Mainframe Project Mentorship Program, they want to invest in future developers so that the quality of mainframe engineers can improve over time. The mainframe computing environment generally refers to the atmosphere and community of developers – they work in managing bulk data, and they are experts in working on mainframe machines. So this program will give you a taste of all these things from the Linux environment to the mainframe technology.

Eligibility

All the mentees who are applying for the program should be eligible according to the following criteria :

• The mentee must be aged 18 or older at the time of the program.
• Should not be engaged in any other Linux Foundation mentorship program.
• Should be legally able to work as per their country’s laws.
• Should not be a resident of a country which are prohibited by U.S. federal laws.
• Should not be a maintainer or contributor or somehow involved in the open-source project that offers any other mentorship program.

Application Process

The application for the program generally starts after the announcement of the program between 15th January to 12th February for around 4 weeks. After you apply for the program, the mentees are shortlisted and then the names of selected mentees for the program are announced.

Timeline of Open Mainframe Project Mentorship Program:

The project timeline will help you to understand the flow of the program so that you can prepare your own strategy and plan. The timeline mentioned below is for the 2021 edition of the Open Mainframe Project Mentorship Program:

Spring Term: March 1st – May 31st  

• Mentorships available on LFX Mentorship: Jan 15th, 2021
• Applications open: Jan 15th – Feb 12th (4 weeks)
• Application review/admission decisions/HR paperwork: Feb 15th – Feb 26th 

Summer Term: June 1st – August  31st

• Mentorships available on LFX Mentorship: April 15th, 2021
• Applications open: April 15th – May 14th (4 weeks)
• Application review/admission decisions/HR paperwork: May 17th – May 31st

Fall Term: September 1st – Nov 30th

• Mentorships available on LFX Mentorship: July 15th, 2021
• Applications open: July 15th – August 12th (4 weeks)
• Application review/admission decisions/HR paperwork: August 12th – August 31st

The description and timeline for individual activities are mentioned below which are similar for all the above-mentioned terms:

Full-Time Mentorship Schedule

• Week 1: The mentorship program begins with the initial work assignments
• End of Week 3: First mentee evaluations due  
• End of Week 6: Midterm mentee evaluations due and first stipend payment approvals
• End of Week 9: Third mentee evaluations due  
• End of Week 12: Final mentee evaluations and mentee feedback/blog submission due, second and final stipend payment approvals  

Benefits of Applying to the Open Mainframe Project Mentorship Program

• Exploring something new: There are only a few developers who work on Linux and mainframe environment so during this program you will work on something which will separate you from the crowd, and you’ll be able to expand your knowledge of mainframe technology.
• Stipend: This program rewards you for your handwork and dedication by paying you a handsome stipend based on your location.
• Build Network: You will communicate with the developers who are having a lot of experience in this field, this will help you a lot in the future whenever you will need their help in your career.

Internships and these types of programs are very important sources of learning and experience for freshers and students – this program will surely give you an edge over others and open doors for more opportunities!!