Ruby Australia

The Mentored Contributions Program is a new Ruby Australia initiative connecting enthusiastic community members with experienced Rubyists.

It's designed to help new contributors gain open-source experience while keeping our community projects active, welcoming, and well-maintained.

We're currently running the program as a trial, focused on learning what works best before expanding it more broadly. During this phase, we're keeping administration light, staying flexible, and gathering feedback from both mentors and mentees as we go.

🎯 Program Goals

Help new and emerging (and re-emerging) developers make meaningful open-source contributions.
Offer light, structured mentoring opportunities for experienced Rubyists.
Build a sustainable pipeline of future Ruby Australia volunteers and maintainers.

🧩 How It Works

1. Register

Start by filling out the Mentored Contributions registration form. You can register as a mentee (new contributor) or mentor (experienced Rubyist).

We'll get in touch through Slack to help you find a good starting point.

2. Contribute

Mentees work on real issues from Ruby Australia projects, supported by their mentors.

Each mentee aims to complete four tasks per month (about one per week).

Most tasks count as one credit.
Larger or ongoing tasks may count for more.
The number of credits can be adjusted based on experience level.

If you're unsure what to work on, your mentor or a coordinator can help you pick something suitable.

3. Mentoring Support

Mentors offer around 1 hour of support per month.

That time can be used however it's most useful:

Talking through blockers on your current task
Reviewing pull requests
Discussing open-source workflows or Ruby projects
Exploring next steps for your learning

Mentors guide—they don't do the work—but they're here to help you succeed.

4. Tracking and Credits

To keep the trial lightweight:

Mentees self-report completed tasks each month using a short form.
Credits are tracked in a shared spreadsheet by the program coordinator.
No one needs to log hours — we trust participants to be honest and communicative.

After the trial, we'll review whether the credit model needs refinement before making it permanent.

5. Recognition

When your work is merged, we love celebrating contributors in the Ruby AU Slack and on social channels — only if you'd like us to.

Likewise, mentors will be acknowledged publicly as part of the program — only if they want to be.

Every contribution, big or small, is valued equally.

🧭 Expectations

For Mentees

Have a go first — mentors are there to support, not to solve everything.
Be respectful of mentor time and communicate clearly.
Complete up to four tasks a month, or let your mentor know if life gets busy.
Follow the Ruby Australia Code of Conduct.

For Mentors

Offer around an hour per month for guidance and feedback.
Encourage, review, and unblock — not rewrite.
Celebrate mentee progress and build their confidence.
Let the coordinator know if you need help or can't continue mentoring.
Follow the Ruby Australia Code of Conduct.

📅 Trial Phase

This pilot program will run for three months.

During this time, we'll review:

How many participants stay engaged
How much mentoring time is typically used
How well the credit model fits different experience levels

Your feedback will shape the future of the program.

🧰 Before You Start

Please make sure you have:

✅ Registered as a member of Ruby Australia
✅ A GitHub account
✅ Joined the Ruby Australia Slack

🙋 Ready to Get Started?

Fill out the Mentored Contributions registration form, join the conversation in the #mentored-contributions Slack channel, and we'll help you get started.

We're excited to have you on board. Together, we'll make Ruby Australia's projects stronger, and help more people find their place in our community.