Mentorship

Explore OWASP mentorship programs including Google Summer of Code and connect with mentors across the community.

OWASP Nest includes a dedicated mentorship platform that manages structured programs connecting mentees with mentors. The primary use case is Google Summer of Code (GSoC), but the system is designed to support any OWASP-affiliated mentorship initiative.

Mentorship programs

Navigate to Mentorship from the top navigation bar to browse available programs. Each program has:

• A name, description, and status (published, draft, or completed)
• A defined start and end date
• Supported experience levels (e.g., beginner, intermediate, advanced)
• A cap on the number of mentees (mentees_limit)
• One or more program modules, each associated with specific mentors

Only published programs are visible to the general public.

Roles

The mentorship system has three distinct roles:

Mentee

A participant enrolled in a program. Linked to a GitHub account and optionally a Nest account. Mentees are enrolled in specific program modules through a MenteeProgram record.

Mentor

An experienced community member who guides mentees through modules. Linked to both a GitHub user and a Nest user account.

Program admin

A trusted user who can manage program settings, approve mentees, and administer modules within a program. Admins must have a Nest account.

Modules and tasks

Each program is divided into modules — self-contained units of work with their own set of mentors, tasks, and milestones. Modules allow a single program to span multiple project areas with different mentors responsible for each.

• Tasks within a module define the specific deliverables expected of a mentee.
• Task levels provide a difficulty or complexity rating for each task.
• A mentee’s progress through a module is tracked via their MenteeModule record.

Google Summer of Code (GSoC)

OWASP participates in GSoC annually. Nest serves as the platform for students to:

1. Browse published GSoC programs and their modules.
2. Review the tasks and expected deliverables for each module.
3. Identify mentors associated with the modules they are interested in.
4. Connect with the OWASP community via Slack before submitting a proposal.

Use the NestBot Slack command /nest gsoc to get a quick overview of current GSoC opportunities and links to the active programs on Nest.

Applying to a program

1. Sign in with GitHub

   You must be signed in with a GitHub account to apply to a mentorship program. Click Sign in with GitHub in the top navigation bar.

2. Browse published programs

   Navigate to Mentorship and review the list of published programs. Read each program’s description, experience level requirements, and module details.

3. Review the modules

   Open a program to see its modules. Each module lists the mentors responsible for it and the tasks you will be expected to complete.

4. Connect with mentors

   Reach out to mentors through the OWASP Slack workspace before applying. The #project-nest channel is a good starting point. Mentors’ GitHub profiles are linked from their mentor pages.

5. Submit your application

   Follow the application instructions provided in the program description. For GSoC, this means submitting a proposal through the official GSoC platform by the published deadline.

Program availability depends on the time of year. GSoC programs are typically published in the first quarter of the calendar year. Check the Mentorship page regularly or watch the #project-nest channel for announcements.