Mentor with OSS
Mentorship Opportunities
Experienced software developers can share a wealth of experience with the next generation of programmers through Open Source with SLU's mentorship initiatives. Beyond the personal satisfaction of giving back and paying it forward, mentorship provides valuable insights into emerging talent and young professionals, creating opportunities for recruitment and referral bonuses within your organization. Whether you're looking for informal collaboration through our developer community or a structured partnership through our Industry Fellows program, we offer pathways for experienced professionals to guide student developers while contributing to meaningful open source projects.
Join Our Development Community
The easiest way to get involved is to join our active Slack community and participating in the development of our software projects. Our current capstone projects offer particularly rich opportunities for mentorship, as student teams work on software development initiatives that mirror real-world industry practices. By contributing code reviews, technical guidance, and project insights, you can directly impact student learning while helping deliver valuable tools for researchers and community organizations. Simply join our Slack workspace, introduce yourself, and connect with project teams that align with your expertise and interests.
Industry Fellows Program
Our Industry Fellows program creates structured mentorship partnerships between experienced professionals and student development teams. Industry Fellows receive university affiliations including a university ID, email access, library privileges, and co-working space access on campus. Fellows also receive training to support effective mentoring relationships. In exchange, Fellows commit to attending at least two in-person evening mentoring events on campus each semester and participating in online discussions with a capstone software development team. This program provides ongoing relationships that benefit both mentors and students through sustained collaboration, professional networking, and the opportunity to contribute to the next generation of software developers. Application is required for the Industry Fellows program, and we select participants based on their technical expertise, commitment to mentorship, and alignment with our project needs.
Apply to Become an Industry Fellow
Applications for the Industry Fellows program are accepted on a rolling basis, with priority deadlines before each semester. See current dates and application process for the upcoming cohort timeline.