Program Overview

• Review phases end-to-end: exploration, proposal, selection, coding, evaluation, finale.
• Confirm timelines, participation rules, and contribution expectations.
• Block calendar time to remain consistent through the coding phase.

Organization & Project Exploration

• Audit participating orgs and shortlist projects aligned to your skills and goals.
• Study READMEs, contribution guides, and open issues to gauge fit.
• Validate tech stacks, prerequisites, and success criteria before committing.

Inaugural Ceremony (10 January)

• Attend kickoff for program walkthrough and coding expectations.
• Internalize evaluation criteria, communication norms, and support channels.
• Resolve any final clarifications with organizers or mentors.

Communication & Community

• Join the official Discord; stay on top of announcements and threads.
• Ask precise questions to mentors/maintainers to refine scope and feasibility.
• Document agreements and decisions; uphold respectful, transparent communication.

Proposal Phase

• Submit up to 3 tailored proposals across 3 distinct organizations.
• Follow org-specific templates; avoid generic or duplicated content.
• Present milestones, deliverables, risks, and a realistic execution timeline.

Submission & Deadlines

• File proposals before the cutoff—late changes are not accepted.
• Verify formatting, required fields, and repository links prior to submission.
• Keep local backups of your drafts and final copies.

Selection & Onboarding

• Monitor announcements and reply promptly to mentor outreach.
• Complete onboarding: repo access, environment setup, required forms.
• Establish cadence for standups, reporting, and code reviews.

Coding Phase

• Set up builds/tests; validate end-to-end flows early.
• Ship in small, reviewable increments with clean commits and documentation.
• Surface blockers quickly; sync regularly with mentors.

Evaluation & Mentorship

• Hit agreed milestones and provide concise progress updates.
• Address review feedback promptly while maintaining code quality.
• Demonstrate learning, collaboration, and consistency over perfection.

Final Submission & Showcase

• Deliver code, docs, and handover notes ahead of the finale.
• Be ready to demo outcomes, impact, and learnings.
• Celebrate responsibly and recognize mentors and collaborators.

Code of Conduct & Support

• Adhere to the Code of Conduct—be respectful, inclusive, collaborative.
• Escalate issues via official channels; use Discord for day-to-day support.
• Uphold open-source ethics, transparency, and fairness at all times.