Season of KDE is a community outreach program, much like Google Summer of Code that has been hosted by the KDE community for six years straight.
It is meant for people who could not get into Google Summer of Code for various reasons, or people who simply prefer a differently structured, somewhat less constrained program. Season of KDE is managed by the same team of admins and mentors that takes care of Google Summer of Code and Google Code-in matters for KDE, with the same level of quality and care.
Season of KDE 2014 is now open for applications. To apply head to season.kde.org register as a student and click "Submit a proposal".
Read More for an FAQ
Who can take part?
Everyone can apply for Season of KDE. We give preference to those who have applied for Google Summer of Code and to students, but we will gladly consider applications from anybody interested to contribute to KDE.
What do I get out of this?
A great season working on a really cool KDE project and gaining valuable experience. If you complete your project successfully you also get a T-shirt, a certificate and maybe a few other goodies. Also a great project to boost your C.V. too!
What is the timeline?
Season of KDE is a flexible project to fit around school terms, work, and other commitments, and start and end dates can be discussed with your mentor. Projects should be completed before the end of the year, a typical Season of KDE project should take around 2 months. This year, we are planning to host it in Autumn from Oct 17, 2014 to Jan 31, 2015.
- Student application deadline: Oct 31 2014
- Mentor application deadline: Nov 05 2014
How do I apply?
First get in touch with a mentor about your ideas, and what projects they want to run.
Then head to season.kde.org and follow the instructions provided there.
Do I need to have a mentor before applying?
It is preferred. Ideally, you should contact a KDE subproject well before applying, ask for feedback on your idea if you have one, and request a mentor directly. A list of KDE subproject contacts is available on the Google Summer of Code 2014 ideas page. You can also apply without a mentor and we will try to find one for you.
Do I need to have a project idea before applying?
It is preferred. If you do not have one, we will try to find one for you! But generally for a successful project completion proposal helps a lot! This way you can actually get to know a lot more about how your idea is going to be implemented.
Keep in mind that KDE is huge, so you should have an idea of which KDE subproject you wish to work on. You should visit the Sok 2014 ideas page too.
Do I need to write a proposal like in Google Summer of Code?
No, but we would like to see a brief project plan describing what you will be working on.
Is it only for coders like Google Summer of Code?
We are willing to consider non-coding projects as well including artwork and promotion, but you should definitely get in touch to figure out the details beforehand. The KDE Community Wiki describes ways to get involved with KDE that do not require coding.
I applied for a project in Google Summer of Code but another student got selected for it. Can I still work on it?
Maybe, but likely not. You should ask the mentor that was assigned to your idea. We can try to find something related for you if you want, or something completely different. Let us know what you wish and we will do our best to accommodate your request.
Is this an extension of Google Summer of Code or connected to Google?
No. While Season of KDE is in many ways modeled after Google Summer of Code and administered by the same members of the KDE community, it is completely independent from Google Summer of Code and has no connection to Google whatsoever.
What if I do not get a reply from a mentor within some days or have some other queries about SoK?
Feel free to join our IRC channel #kde-soc on freenode or email the admin team at [email protected]