Google Open Source is proud to announce the 14th year of Google Summer of Code (GSoC)! Yes, GSoC is officially well into its teenage years - hopefully without that painful awkward stage - and we are excited to introduce more new student developers to the world of open source software development.

Over the last 13 years GSoC has provided over 13,000 university students from around the world with an opportunity to hone their skills by contributing to open source projects during their summer break. Participants gain invaluable experience working directly with mentors on open source projects, and earn a stipend upon successful completion of their project.

We’re excited to keep the tradition going! Applications for interested open source organizations open on January 4, 2018 and student applications open in March*.

Are you an open source project interesting in learning more? Visit the program site to learn about what it means to be a mentor organization and how to submit a good application. We welcome all types of organizations - both large and small - and each year about 20% of the organizations we accept are completely new to GSoC.

Students, it’s never too early to start thinking about your proposal. You can check out the organizations that participated in Google Summer of Code 2017 as well as the projects students worked on. We also encourage you to explore other resources like the student and mentor guides and frequently asked questions.

You can always learn more on the program website. Please stay tuned for more details!

By Mary Radomile, Google Open Source

* Exact dates will be announced later this year.

Back in early May we announced the students accepted into the 13th edition of the Google Summer of Code (GSoC) program, our largest program ever! Today we are pleased to announce the 1,128 (86.2%*) students from 68 countries that successfully completed the 2017 GSoC. Great job, students!




Students worked diligently with 201 open source organizations and over 1,600 mentors to learn to work with internationally distributed online teams, write great code and help their mentoring org enhance, extend and refine their codebases. Students have also become an important part of these communities. We feel strongly that to keep open source organizations thriving and evolving, they need new ideas - GSoC students help to bring fresh perspectives to these important projects.

We look forward to seeing even more from the 2017 students. Many will go on to become GSoC mentors in future programs and many more will become committers to these and other open source organizations. Some may even create their own open source projects! These students have a bright future ahead of them in technology and open source.

Interested in what the students worked on this summer? Check out their work as well as statistics on past programs.

A big thank you to our mentors and organization administrators who make this program possible. Their dedication to welcoming new student contributors into their communities and teaching them the fundamentals of open source is awesome and inspiring. Thank you all!

Congratulations to all of the GSoC 2017 students and the mentors who made this our biggest and best Google Summer of Code yet.

By Stephanie Taylor, Google Open Source

* 1,309 students started the coding period on May 30th, stats are based upon that number.

Are you a university student looking to learn more about open source software development? Consider applying to Google Summer of Code (GSoC) for a chance to spend your break coding on an open source project.



For the 13th straight year GSoC will give students from around the world the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of open source software development while working from their home. Students will receive a stipend for their successful contributions to allow them to focus on their coding during the program.

Mentors are paired with the students to help address technical questions and to monitor their progress throughout the program. Former GSoC participants have told us that the real-world experience they’ve gained during the program has not only sharpened their technical skills, but has also boosted their confidence, broadened their professional network and enhanced their resumes.

Interested students can submit proposals on the program site now through Monday, April 3 at 16:00 UTC. The first step is to search through the 201 open source organizations and review the “Project ideas” for the organizations that appeal to you. Next, reach out to the organizations to introduce yourself and determine if your skills and interests are a good match with their organization.




Since spots are limited, we recommend writing a strong project proposal and submitting a draft early to receive feedback from the organization which will help increase your chances of selection. Our Student Manual, written by former students and mentors, provides excellent helpful advice to get you started with choosing an organization and crafting a great proposal.

For information throughout the application period and beyond, visit the Google Open Source Blog, join our Google Summer of Code discussion lists or join us on Internet Relay Chat (IRC) at #gsoc on Freenode. Be sure to read the Program Rules, Timeline and FAQ, all available on the program site, for more information about Google Summer of Code.

Good luck to all the open source coders who apply, and remember to submit your proposals early — you only have until Monday, April 3 at 16:00 UTC!

By Stephanie Taylor, Google Summer of Code Program Manager

Spring is just around the corner here in the Northern Hemisphere and Google Summer of Code is fast approaching. If you are a student interested in participating this year, now is the time to prepare -- read on for tips on how to get ready.

This year we’ve accepted 201 open source organizations into the program, nearly 40 of which are new to the program. The organizations cover a wide range of topics including (but certainly not limited to!):

• Operating systems
• Web application frameworks
• Healthcare and bioinformatics
• Music and graphic design
• Machine learning
• Robotics
• Security

How should you prepare for Google Summer of Code?

While student applications don’t open until March 20th at 16:00 UTC, you need to decide which projects you’re interested in and what you’ll propose. You should also communicate with those projects to learn more before you apply.

Start by looking at the list of participating projects and organizations. You can explore by searching for specific names or technologies, or filtering by topics you are interested in. Follow the “Learn More” link through to each organization’s page for additional information.

Once you’ve identified the organizations that you’re interested in, take a look at their ideas list to get a sense of the specific projects you could work on. Typically, you will choose a project from that list and write a proposal based on that idea, but you could also propose something that’s not on that list.

You should reach out to the organizations after you’ve decided what you want to work on. Doing this can make the difference between a good application and a great application.

Whatever you do, don’t wait until March 20th to begin preparing for Google Summer of Code! History has shown that students who reach out to organizations before the start of the application period have a higher chance of being accepted into the program, as they have had more time to talk to the organizations and understand what they are looking for with the project.

If you have any questions along the way, take a look at the Student Manual, FAQ and Timeline. If you can’t find the answer to your question, try taking your question to the mailing list.

By Josh Simmons, Open Source Programs Office

Today’s the day! We are excited to announce the mentor organizations accepted for this year’s Google Summer of Code (GSoC). Every year we receive more applications than we can accept and 2017 was no exception. After carefully reviewing almost 400 applications, we have chosen 201 open source projects and organizations, 18% of which are new to the program. Please see the program website for a complete list of the accepted organizations.

Interested in participating as a student? We will begin accepting student applications on Monday, March 20, 2017 at 16:00 UTC and the deadline is Monday, April 3, 2017 at 16:00 UTC.

Over the next three weeks, students who’d like to participate in Google Summer of Code should research the organizations and their Ideas Lists to explore which organizations are a good fit for their interests and skills and learn how they might contribute. Some of the most successful proposals have been completely new ideas submitted by students, so if you don’t see a project that appeals to you, don’t hesitate to suggest a new idea to the organization! There are contacts listed for each organization on their Ideas List — students should contact the organization directly to discuss their ideas. We also strongly encourage all interested students to reach out to and become familiar with the organization before applying.

You can find more information on our website, including a full timeline of important dates and program milestones. We also highly recommend all interested students read the Student Manual, FAQ and the Program Rules.

Congratulations to all of our mentor organizations! We look forward to working with all of you during Google Summer of Code 2017.

By Josh Simmons, Open Source Programs Office