Make a mentor recruitment plan

[terriko]

(comment via IRC from the most excellent Taggnostr)

1. make a recruitment plan for mentors:

• post to python-dev and other ML early (even now)
• explain clearly what a mentor should do and what results they can expect for the project
• As GSoC approaches send more mails (e.g. 6 months before, 3m, 1m, 2weeks)

[terriko]

We've had mediocre success with blind mentor recruitment, so we're not doing any this year -- mentors have to reach out to us to express interest. I'll probably revisit this in some future year if we get a volunteer who can help with this.

[BarisTiwari]

Mentor Recruitment Plan (GSoC)
Objective

To attract experienced and committed mentors for the organization’s participation in Google Summer of Code (GSoC) by ensuring early outreach, clear expectations, and consistent follow-ups.

1. Early Outreach
   Begin mentor recruitment well in advance (even before official GSoC announcements).
   Post calls for mentors on:
   Python-related mailing lists (e.g., python-dev)
   Machine Learning and domain-specific mailing lists
   Relevant open-source communities and forums
   Share announcements on:
   GitHub discussions
   Project website/blog
   Social media channels (LinkedIn, Twitter/X)
2. Clear Communication of Expectations
   Provide a detailed description of mentor responsibilities, including:
   Guiding students throughout the coding period
   Helping refine project proposals
   Conducting regular check-ins and evaluations
   Providing technical direction and feedback
   Clearly outline expected outcomes, such as:
   Successful completion of project milestones
   Code contributions merged into the main project
   Long-term contributor engagement (if possible)
   Mention time commitment expectations (e.g., hours per week).
3. Value Proposition for Mentors
   Highlight benefits of mentoring:
   Giving back to the open-source community
   Identifying and nurturing new contributors
   Improving project quality and visibility
   Networking with other developers and organizations
4. Structured Follow-Up Campaign

As GSoC approaches, increase outreach frequency:

6 months before:
Initial mentor call and awareness posts
3 months before:
Reminder emails with project ideas and mentor requirements
1 month before:
Focused outreach with finalized project ideas
Encourage sign-ups and confirmations
2 weeks before deadline:
Final call for mentors
Direct outreach to past contributors and active community members
5. Targeted Recruitment
Reach out to:
Previous GSoC mentors and contributors
Active GitHub contributors
Community members who have shown consistent engagement
Use personalized messages for higher conversion.
6. Onboarding Support
Provide mentors with:
A quick-start guide
Communication channels (Slack, Discord, mailing list)
Timeline and evaluation criteria
Optionally host a mentor orientation session.
7. Continuous Engagement
Keep mentors engaged by:
Sharing updates and timelines
Providing support during the student application phase
Recognizing mentor contributions publicly