As you may know, Google CodeIn (GCI) is a global, online contest introducing teenagers to the world of open source development. With a wide variety of bite-sized tasks, it’s easy for beginners to jump in and get started no matter what skills they have.

How did it all start?

This marks the second year of Fedora participating in GCI. It all started with Brian Exelbeird , Vipul Siddharth and Sumantro Mukherjee coming together after Flock 2018 to co-ordinate with Fedorans to run as an organization.

In 2019, we included Leigh Griffin. Leigh gave us some ideas to make a scalable model for recruiting mentors who provide the Org with tasks and mentor during the content timelines. This helped us. This year the Org Admins opened up a Google Form and invited mentors to take part in a open process by submitting at least one task and some basic details, Based on this, they were each asked to submit 15-20 tasks within the deadline. As the mentors submitted, the admins kept reviewing the tasks until the contest began. This process was more streamlined than last year.

Where are we today?

According to a GCI leaderboard, Fedora is the number one Org with 2239 tasks completed. We are followed by FOSSASIA and OpenWISP. Fedora has two Org Admins and 15 Mentors.

Some stats!

Fedora Project Task Instances: 2239 Completed

  • In progress 90
  • Pending review 32
  • Available 1799
  • Beginner completed 196
  • Beginner available 339

Let’s hear from …

A couple of participants

GCI Username : nasirhm
This is my first experience on Code In and by coincidence around 1 month before this Started, I saw Fedora as an org on the list. I realized it had to be Fedora (Since that’s my primary OS). I’ve always wanted to work with the active contributors of a FOSS and this is where the mentors came in.
Whenever I have a question about a task, I can ask it in the IRC group where there is always someone to answer/help.

One thing that has been remarkable that even though we are competing, there is friendly group to discuss things and all of use are now like friends. Mentors are lenient and understand the difficulty that we can face. They are always ready to help and listen. I am very glad to have such mentors who go out of the way to make sure that we learn something even if the task is not easy for us. I am in love with a new technology (for me) Ansible that mentors helped me learn by providing links and resources. With the help of tasks, I am confident that now I can automate my mundane work. I am already looking forward to next year’s GCI with Fedora. I am not nervous while communicating in a large group.

Message To all the Students : “We’re here to Contribute, Collaborate and Learn to Compete, It will help a lot it Future. May you all have Blessed & Wonderful Life”

GCI Username: skr1p7
Because I’ve been competing in GCI for past 2 years, for me this year is an year to push to the limit that I can. I chose Fedora because it has quite a good number of Linux tasks with a great mentor support especially Nishant Parhi and Alisha Mohanty. Community essence in the group chat is amazing, fun is on the peak and so is nervousness. Not only we share our problems, hints and solutions but also puns and memes that actually makes Fedora group more like a family chat. Hoping to give my best and ace into Fedora this year.

One of our mentors

Nishant Parhi
Google code in has always kept my winters busy! It a great concept by google to involve students and introduce them to Open Source! Hats off to all organizations and the Org Admins who are doing an amazing job and helping the mentors and student in the journey of GCI. I was a finalist for Fedora Project last year and this year I am a Mentor and mainly mentoring tasks related to Cyber Security, Machine Learning, and Ansible! I have checked more than 400 amazing tasks till date. I am extremely glad that participants are liking the tasks which were made by our mentors! We collectively have completed a huge 600+ tasks! A big thank you to Vipul and Sumantro who are guiding the mentors and students!

That’s all folks!

There is still sometime to decide upon the winners and we will have another final report and some closing remarks from mentors and Org Admins on what can be done better next year!