Outreachy is offering paid, fully remote internships in open source for its December 2026 cohort.
The programme is designed to increase diversity in the technology industry by providing practical experience, mentorship and professional opportunities to people who face underrepresentation, systemic bias or discrimination in tech.
The three-month internship will run from 7 December 2026 to 8 March 2027, giving successful interns the opportunity to contribute to real open source projects while working remotely with mentors and an international community.
Importantly, Outreachy welcomes applicants from a wide range of backgrounds and does not require previous open source experience.
Outreachy December 2026 at a glance
- Programme: Outreachy December 2026 Internship
- Type: Paid internship
- Work arrangement: Fully remote
- Duration: 3 months
- Internship dates: 7 December 2026 – 8 March 2027
- Total stipend: US$7,000
- Workload: 30 hours per week
- Eligibility: People aged 18+ who face underrepresentation, systemic bias or discrimination in technology
- Previous experience: Not required
- Students: Eligible
- Professionals: Eligible
- Nationality: Applicants from all countries can be considered, subject to programme requirements
- Fields: Programming, research, UX, documentation, data science, communications, design and more
- Initial application period: August 2026
- Project contribution period: September–October 2026
Important: The information supplied in the announcement mentions an initial application deadline of 31 August 2026, while the official Outreachy information states that December 2026 applications are accepted from early August to mid-August. Applicants should therefore verify the current application status and deadline directly on the official Outreachy application page before applying.
What is Outreachy?
Outreachy is a diversity initiative focused on increasing participation and representation in free and open source software and technology.
The programme connects interns with open source communities where they work on practical projects under the guidance of experienced mentors.
Internship projects can involve much more than software programming. Depending on the available projects, participants may work in areas such as:
- Software development
- Programming
- Data science
- User experience and design
- Technical writing
- Documentation
- Research
- Marketing
- Communications
- User advocacy
- Event planning
- Graphic design
- Multimedia
This makes Outreachy particularly attractive to people who are interested in technology but may not identify primarily as software developers.
What does the internship offer?
US$7,000 paid stipend
The official Outreachy information states that interns receive a US$7,000 total internship stipend.
This makes the programme a significant opportunity for participants seeking paid international experience without needing to relocate to another country.
Fully remote experience
Outreachy internships are conducted remotely. Interns and mentors collaborate online, allowing participants to contribute to international open source projects from their own locations.
This can provide valuable experience working across geographical and cultural boundaries.
Real open source projects
Successful applicants don’t simply participate in theoretical training.
They work on real open source projects, contributing code, documentation, research, designs, communications or other deliverables depending on their selected project.
The experience can help participants build a portfolio and demonstrate practical skills to future employers, organizations and collaborators.
🤝 Professional mentorship
Each intern works with mentors from the relevant open source community.
This provides participants with guidance throughout the internship while helping them understand professional workflows, collaborative development and open source contribution practices.
🌐 Global community
Outreachy brings together interns, mentors and open source contributors from different parts of the world.
Participants therefore have opportunities to develop an international professional network while becoming part of the broader open source community.
Who can apply?
Outreachy is specifically intended for people who experience underrepresentation, systemic bias or discrimination in the technology industry where they live.
The programme does not provide a simple fixed list of eligible or ineligible identities. Instead, applicants are encouraged to assess their own circumstances and determine whether they face barriers or underrepresentation in technology.
Applicants must also meet the programme’s age and availability requirements.
For the December 2026 cohort, applicants should be at least 18 years old by the start of the internship.
Both students and professionals may apply.
One of the major advantages of Outreachy is that applicants do not need extensive previous open source experience.
The application process gives prospective interns an opportunity to demonstrate their ability to contribute to an open source project.
Applicants are expected to research available projects, communicate with project mentors and make contributions during the contribution period.
This means that applicants should not treat the programme as a conventional internship where they simply submit a CV and wait for selection.
How the Outreachy application process works
The process generally involves several stages.
1. Submit the initial application
Applicants first provide information about themselves and complete the required application questions or essays.
2. Explore available projects
Applicants can review the projects offered by participating open source communities and identify opportunities that match their interests and skills.
3. Make project contributions
During the contribution period, applicants work with their chosen communities and make contributions to the project.
This is an important part of the selection process because it allows mentors to assess how applicants communicate, collaborate, learn and solve problems.
4. Submit the final application
Applicants complete the final application based on their contribution work and project involvement.
5. Selection
Participating communities evaluate applicants and select interns for the cohort.
Important dates
For the December 2026 cohort, the internship itself is scheduled to run from:
7 December 2026 – 8 March 2027
The official Outreachy schedule indicates that intern applications for the December cohort are accepted around early to mid-August, followed by a project contribution period in approximately late September to late October.
Because application dates can be updated, applicants should check the official schedule before submitting an application.
Why this opportunity is worth considering
The Outreachy internship can be particularly valuable for people who want to enter or strengthen their position in the technology sector but have faced barriers to accessing traditional opportunities.
The combination of a paid stipend, remote work, real-world project experience, mentorship and global networking provides interns with a practical pathway into open source and technology.
It is also suitable for applicants with diverse skill sets. Someone interested in technology does not necessarily need to become a programmer to participate; opportunities can extend to research, writing, design, communications, advocacy and other areas.
For applicants interested in building an international portfolio while contributing to projects that benefit the wider open source ecosystem, the December 2026 Outreachy cohort represents an opportunity worth exploring.
Apply early and verify the deadline
Prospective applicants should check the official Outreachy website for the current December 2026 application status and exact deadline, particularly because the supplied announcement and the programme’s published schedule indicate different timing.
