All In Africa: New cohort now open!

As we’re opening up the doors to our final class of this programmatic year, we’re also looking back at our recent graduates and the partners that helped make them a success.

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Header image credit: Kingsley Mkpandiok

Having equal opportunity to use and create technology is key to unlocking the potential of open source. At the heart of this is skilling—and that’s where GitHub’s All In program comes in. All In is a community dedicated to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within open source, which it achieves through close collaboration with corporate partners, industry leaders, researchers and foundations. This is broken down into two programs: All in for Students and All In Africa. These programs meet open source contributors where they are, reaching people in various stages of their developer journey.

Congratulations to our graduates

As we’re closing out our third year of programming, we are proud to present our latest graduates from the All In community. These graduates have shown a commitment to learning, a willingness to collaborate, and a passion for innovation that is truly inspiring. In the world of open source, we are constantly pushing boundaries, exploring new possibilities, and challenging the status quo. And our All In graduates have embraced this spirit wholeheartedly. As they move forward from this program, they have the skills, knowledge, and determination to make a difference, create change, and shape the future of technology. As our graduates reflect on this experience, here are a few things they had to say:

This feels surreal—graduating from the first cohort of All in Africa last week, then my initial application for Outreachy program being approved this week. The All in Africa program has laid a good foundation for my journey in open source. Thanks to everyone who made this possible.

- Hamza Haji, All in Africa 2024 Graduate

I have learnt to take opportunities more seriously. Many gems and resources have been dropped in all the video sessions we’ve had. I am no longer afraid of trying out new tech tools, whether it’s in my field or not. This program has been AWESOME.

- Ayomide Ogunlade, All in Africa 2024 Graduate

All In Open Source definitely has helped me in unexpected ways. It helped me stay accountable with consistency, especially with the hackathons and modules spread across several months. And I remember going to an interactive workshop about interviews, and just being in that space helped me warm up for interviews I had the next day and the following day too. The peace of mind I got from that particular workshop helped me gain that bit of confidence for my interview at Fidelity Investments and ultimately, I did receive an offer from them!

- Ashley Hendrata, All In for Students 2024 Graduate

Congratulations to our graduates. The future is bright, and it is in your hands.

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Partnering together for impact

Our partners provide support to participants every step of the way, helping ensure they go from successful students to accomplished graduates. This year was no exception. A special thanks to:

  • Cisco provided funding to ensure students had the resources and opportunities necessary to be successful. They’re helping us expand our offerings and improve our programming year after year.
  • DevelHope ran a resume-building workshop, where they shared tips and suggestions on crafting a tech CV, looking for remote jobs, and acing technical interviews.
  • Fidelity Investments was a constant in the All In community this year due to their unwavering support in our programming. They hosted our second hackathon of the school year, served on our Careers In Tech panel, and provided students with internship opportunities.
  • Major League Hacking (MLH) was critical to programming, providing the infrastructure and resources to ensure that our students had hands-on experiences with coding. They also helped students prepare for the next phase in their careers through Career Readiness Workshops.
  • One Refugee was a new partner this year, and a natural fit as they support around 380 college students with refugee backgrounds in Utah and Idaho. We were able to connect our program offerings with their students, creating an even bigger impact.

This year, we also had a new type of partnership launch: All In for Students Ambassador Pilot program. Four students from the inaugural class of the All In for Students cohort were paired with students whom they could work with on a smaller cohort level. Students were able to connect with their mentors weekly to answer questions about course material and open source in general. Having been through the program themselves, ambassadors could provide firsthand advice and guidance. A special thanks to this year’s ambassadors: Jerry Ortega, Kayla Partee, Khalil Warner, and Bernard Zandonda.

All In Africa is also supported by a network of regional ambassadors who bring a unique perspective and commitment to open source education. These community leaders have helped drive tailored networking opportunities such as mini meetups and virtual touchpoints, and have been points of contact for their respective areas. A big thank you to this year’s regional ambassadors: Catherine Kiru, Antonio Pedro, Kudzayi Bamhare, Peculiar Umeh, and Lomora Ronald.

What’s ahead

Do you see yourself helping shape the future of open source? Do you want to become part of a close-knit community of contributors with guidance from open source leaders and corporate partners? We have good news: enrollment for All in Africa is now open!

Enroll here or share this opportunity with eligible participants (must be based in Africa). Students will be accepted on a rolling basis, with a cap of 250 participants. If you’re interested in the All In for Students program, the next cohort will be launching in the coming months.

If you’re a company or organization interested in offering open source opportunities to All In participants, sign up to become a partner or email [email protected].

Together, we can advance open source into a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive community. We can’t wait to see what this next generation of open source leaders will do!

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