Google Code in 2019 Application

Systers Profile

Name

• Systers, an AnitaB.org community

Website URL

• http://systers.io/

Short Description (200 Char Limit)

• Helping women find their potential in code. You are not alone.

Long Description (1500 Char Limit - using "limited markdown" syntax)
# About
Systers is an international AnitaB.org community encouraging the participation of all women involved in technology. We have over 8,500 members from more than 70 countries around the world. **We welcome the participation of women technologists of all ages at any stage of their studies or careers.** Systers Open Source is a sub-community of Systers that has over 1,500 members from more than 15 time zones.
# Mobile App
Systers Open Source has *many* projects, but we are focusing on **Mentorship System** ([Android](https://github.com/systers/mentorship-android) & [Backend](https://github.com/systers/mentorship-backend)) for Google Code-in this year. In the past, we received feedback from participants that working on multiple projects was confusing so each year we rotate through our active projects. Mentorship System is an application that matches women in tech to mentor each other, on career development, through 1:1 relations during a certain period of time.
# Mentors
All Systers mentors are volunteers. We have mentors from different time zones which means our organization *does not* currently have 24-hour availability on [Zulip Chat](http://systers-opensource.zulipchat.com) or the GCI Website.
* If a task takes longer than 24 hours for review, politely ping the **task's assigned mentors** in [#gci > task review needed](https://systers-opensource.zulipchat.com/#narrow/stream/212722-gci/topic/task.20review.20needed/near/179228625) topic. Follow the instructions to alert your mentors.
* If a task takes longer than 36 hours for review, politely ping the **@admins** in [#gci > task review needed](https://systers-opensource.zulipchat.com/#narrow/stream/212722-gci/topic/task.20review.20needed/near/179228625) topic's response that you created before. Review the topics instructions.
# **We welcome everyone! We have tasks that involves no coding experience.**

Tags

• mentoring, women in tech, mobile, design, inclusive

Programming Languages and Technologies

• kotlin, android, python, flask, graphics

Contact Methods

• Chat: http://systers-opensource.zulipchat.com
• Contact Email: systers-os-admins@googlegroups.com

Application Questions

Why does your organization want to participate in Google Code-in 2019? (500 Char Limit)

• Our organization has participated in GCI for 3 years in which we have improved our processes significantly from participant feedback which increased our completed tasks from 177 in 2016 to 633 in 2017. We are also believe it is critical for the next generation to have access and exposure to technical women as role models because it will inspire and motivate young women to pursue their career in computing. GCI also is a great program that includes technical and non-technical work in open source.

How has your organization prepared for Google Code-in 2019?

• Systers has created an entire Mentor Handbook (bit.ly/2oClxVK) to detail all of the responsibilities, communication guidelines, and task creation to help with mentor onboarding. Each mentor was required to submit an application detailing their open source and mentoring experience. We received 50+ applications. Since Slack (our previous tool) updated it's policies and does not allow use of their platform by anyone younger than 16 years old, we had to research a new solution for our IRC channel.

Has your organization participated in Google Code-in before?

• Yes

In which years did your organization participate in Code-in?

• 2017, 2016, 2015

Has your organization participated in Google Summer of Code before?

• Yes

In which years did your organization participate in Google Summer of Code?

• 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2010, 2009

How many mentors have committed to participate?

• 36

How do you plan to deal with any holidays or vacations mentors may have planned during the contest period?

• During holidays/vacation, we ask every mentor to update our Google Code-in Calendar with "Vacation: MentorName" and admins will check weekly at a scrum meeting to confirm anyone who is on vacation that week. Admins are responsible to un-publish tasks that have no available mentors. Systers requires that each task have at least 2 mentors assigned, admins will not publish the task unless the minimum criteria is met. All these precautions help monitor and maintain tasks with available mentors.

How do you plan to deal with unresponsive mentors?

• Mentors have to apply each year. We ask if they can commit to participate with Systers for a minimum of 5~10 hours per week from November 2019 through February 2020. Anyone who answers "no" is not selected as a mentor. In the application, it is mandatory to agree to follow Google's Mentor Responsibilities and Systers' Mentor Expectations (bit.ly/2oClxVK). Our expectations listed in "Communication Guidelines" states "Admins will issue two warnings to inactive mentors before removing a mentor."