The Sched app allows you to build your schedule but is not a substitute for your event registration. You must be registered for Open Source Summit North America 2025 to participate in the sessions. If you have not registered but would like to join us, please go to the event registration page to purchase a registration.
This schedule is automatically displayed in Central DaylightTime (UTC -5). To see the schedule in your preferred timezone, please select from the drop-down menu to the right, above "Filter by Date."
IMPORTANT NOTE: Timing of sessions and room locations are subject to change.
Sign up or log in to add sessions to your schedule and sync them to your phone or calendar.
Open source projects everywhere are asking the same question: where will the next generation of reliable contributors or maintainers come from? The answer is already here, students, but most projects lack a repeatable, maintainer-friendly system to convert student interest into sustained, high-quality contributions.
This session presents a field-tested, scalable framework for turning students from first-time contributors into long-term community members and technical collaborators. Drawing from real program experience working with student contributor pipelines, we will break down how maintainers and organisations can design contribution pathways that reduce review burden, improve contribution quality, and increase retention, without diluting project standards.
We will cover practical ideas for structuring beginner-to-advanced issue ladders and contributor experience design that keeps students engaged beyond their first pull request. The talk will also address common maintainer concerns around signal-to-noise ratio and review bandwidth when working with early-career contributors.
I love getting students excited about technology. I'm always happy to talk about CS Education, Open Source Mentoring programs, and any innovative or fun ideas to keep students engaged
