CodeWorld and Summer of Haskell

[Chris Smith]

TL;DR: CodeWorld is sponsoring two student slots for Summer of Haskell this year.  Please encourage any college students you know to apply to this program.

Attention college students!

Do you want to:

• Work on a serious Haskell project this summer?
• Work closely with experienced Haskell developers?
• Earn a living stipend for doing it?
• Help give educational opportunities to kids at the same time?

If so, please consider applying to Summer of Haskell this summer, and consider submitting a proposal to work on CodeWorld.  If you are not a student, please spread the word to students you know.

What is Summer of Haskell?

Details are at http://summer.haskell.org.  The short version is: you submit a proposal to contribute to an open source project that benefits the Haskell community.  The community chooses the top submissions.  Those students are assigned a mentor to guide them in their project, and a living stipend for the summer.

How is CodeWorld related to Summer of Haskell?

Summer of Haskell is funded by donations, and CodeWorld has donated funds to support two students this summer to work on CodeWorld specifically (or on projects in the surrounding Haskell ecosystem, such as GHCJS, that would benefit CodeWorld).

How do I get started?

The student application period doesn't start until April 25th.  That said, though, the time to get involved is now!  Student proposals are far more likely to be accepted if the student is knowledgeable about the project and surrounding community and ecosystem, and known within the community.  Some examples of ways to jump in are:

• Work through CodeWorld's online Guide with the link at http://code.world.
• Experiment with GHCJS and other related tools.
• Form some opinions about what would help the community.
• Blog about your learning experiences, and start conversations on the mailing list.
• Contribute in minor ways, such as improving documentation or taking on small bugs.

What should I propose?

This is up to you.  There's a wiki page on the project github site with more details on possible proposals, at https://github.com/google/codeworld/blob/master/SummerOfHaskell.md -- but you don't have to propose something on that list, but you definitely can.  The important things to keep in mind are:

• Shoot for something feasible to complete in a summer, but also ambitious.
• Making things better for existing users usually beats building something for a brand new audience.
• Pick something you feel confident working on, and are excited about.  You'll be thinking about it for a long time.
• It's a good idea to try to understand the existing community needs and opportunities, too!

Can I get feedback on my proposal?

Yes, absolutely!  Most successful proposals are improved with community feedback, so don't try to do it all alone and surprise everyone at the end.  It's up to you whether you feel more comfortable sharing your ideas on the mailing list, where you might get broader feedback, or one on one by email.

How much of a commitment is this?

The expectation is that students are making a commitment similar to a full-time job or internship for the entire work period, just shy of three months.

How do I apply?

Not so fast!  Applications are accepted starting on April 25th.  This is the time to start preparing, exploring the system, and considering your options! :)