Open-Source Internships With Industry Mentors (2111.04414v2)

Abstract: Internships help students connect what they have learned in the classroom to the real world, and students with access to internships are more likely to graduate and secure employment. However, many students are unable to find an internship by the time they graduate. This experience report describes a program where volunteer software engineers mentor students as they work on open-source projects in the summer, offered as an alternative to a traditional internship experience. We catalog the considerations involved in providing an experience similar to a traditional internship, describe our program's design, and provide two years' worth of participant evaluations and career outcomes as a measure of efficacy. The program served mostly undergraduates from non-R1 schools who are underrepresented in technology, and achieved similar educational outcomes to a traditional internship program. Most promisingly, mentors were willing to serve as a professional reference for 80% of students and the number of graduating seniors who secured full-time employment in technology was 7 points higher than average (despite occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic).

• The paper introduces an innovative internship model where students engage in open-source projects under the mentorship of experienced software engineers.
• It details a flexible program structure using both synchronous and asynchronous tools to address challenges like unpreparedness and low self-efficacy.
• Evaluation data reveals a 7 percentage point increase in employment rates and 80% mentor endorsement, underscoring the model’s effectiveness.

An Examination of Open-Source Internships with Industry Mentors

The paper "Open-Source Internships With Industry Mentors" by Menezes, Parra, and Jiang introduces a distinctive internship model designed to tackle challenges surrounding conventional internships, particularly for students who struggle to access such experiences. This research centers around an innovative program initiated by CodeDay called CodeDay Labs, where undergraduate students, mostly from non-R1 institutions, engage in open-source projects under the mentorship of volunteer software engineers from the industry.

Program Design and Structure

CodeDay Labs offers an alternative to traditional proprietary internships by focusing on open-source projects. These internships do not require access to confidential corporate resources, making them accessible to a larger pool of students. Students work in teams of 2-3 under a mentor for 6 to 12 weeks, interacting through synchronous and asynchronous communication tools including chats and video calls. The mentors are experienced professional engineers volunteering their time to guide students, further supported by TAs who assist with debugging and technical details.

Addressing Challenges in Internship Access

The paper meticulously highlights the barriers students face in securing traditional internships. It outlines three major factors impeding student access: lack of preparation, competing priorities, and low self-efficacy. To counter these challenges, the program provides flexible time commitments and diverse evaluation criteria for applications, allowing students to present themselves in the best light through various evidence of skills and passion.

The authors note that the open-source nature of the projects ensures students do not generate business value, precluding the need for payment, despite recognizing the importance of paid internships. However, they emphasize the educational benefits to students and the mentorships as justifications for offering unpaid opportunities, while pursuing funding for stipends.

Evaluation and Outcomes

The paper provides two years’ worth of data on the program’s efficacy, highlighting the success in enhancing employability and educational outcomes akin to those observed from traditional internships. Notably, 80% of participating mentors agreed to serve as professional references, contributing to the program's credibility and efficacy as reflected in job placement metrics.

One significant result was that the employment rate of graduates from this program was 7 percentage points higher than average, despite the operational timeline coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic, a period marked by reduced hiring. This distinctly indicates that open-source internships can effectively bridge the gap between academic education and industry readiness, especially for underrepresented students.

Future Directions

The paper suggests improvements and expansions for the program. Recommendations include refining the matchmaking process to better align student skills with project demands and increasing mentor recruitment to accommodate more students. Further, emphasis is placed on securing funding to provide stipends for more participants, enhancing equity and accessibility.

Conclusion

This paper provides compelling evidence that an open-source internship model, while differing from traditional internships in its setup and economic implications, achieves substantial educational and professional outcomes. By extending opportunities to students typically marginalized from conventional internship pathways, it promotes diversity and inclusivity in technology sectors. As the model evolves, lessons learned from CodeDay Labs could inform broader adoption and adaptation across various educational and industry landscapes.