Action Plan: Google Summer of Code (GSoC) 2025

[benjagm]

Action Plan: Google Summer of Code (GSoC) 2025

Objective

Prepare the JSON Schema community to participate in Google Summer of Code 2025, ensuring we meet all deadlines and provide an excellent experience for contributors and mentors.

Team working on this:

• @benjagm
• @Honyii

Channels:

• gsoc : All participants
• announcements : Broader announcements
• gsoc-core : Admins and mentors

Action Plan

Phase 1: Program Preparation (Dec 2024 - Jan 2025)

Dec 16 - Dec 31

• Appoint GSoC Admins: Assign one or more community members to act as GSoC administrators to coordinate the program.
• Announce in slack that Ben Amaechi will lead this.
• @Honyii write blog post about 2024 projects.
• @Honyii to modify the GSoC Readme.

Jan 2 - Feb 1

• GSoC Onboarding:
  • Changes in the GSoC readme to improve onboarding #850
  • Prepare a content plan for engagement on #gsoc channel.
  • Define the topics for GSoC projects. Focus on tooling and implementers.
• Call for Project Ideas and Mentors:
  • Create a campaign to promote this in Slack.
  • Create an issue to capture ideas. Google Summer of Code 2025 - Call for Project Ideas and Mentors #851
  • Complete the voting process with the TSC.

Phase 2: Application Submission (Jan 2025 - Feb 2025)

• Submit Organization Application:
  • Complete and submit the JSON Schema GSoC organization application on the GSoC website.
  • Highlight the community's relevance, activity, and past open-source contributions.
• Promote Participation:
  • Announce JSON Schema’s GSoC involvement on social media, forums, and the website.
  • Encourage contributors to prepare their project proposals.
  • Run bi-weekly office hours for contributors.

Phase 3: Contributor Engagement (Feb 2025 - May 2025)

• Review Proposals:
  • Create a spreadsheet and ask for review to a subset of TSC members.
  • Provide feedback on submitted proposals to ensure alignment with project goals.
  • Select contributors based on proposal quality, skills, and enthusiasm.
  • Run session to announce winners.
• Onboard Contributors:
  • Introduce accepted contributors to the community and their mentors.
  • Share guidelines for contributing to JSON Schema and expected standards.
  • Set up regular communication channels and check-ins.
  • Weekly office hours sessions.

Phase 4: Coding Period (May 2025 - Aug 2025)

• Community Bonding (May 2025):
  • Familiarize contributors with the JSON Schema ecosystem, tools, and community norms.
  • Refine project goals and timelines collaboratively.
• Coding Phase (June - Aug 2025):
  • Monitor progress through regular updates from contributors.
  • Provide guidance, feedback, and code reviews as needed.
  • Address blockers promptly to ensure steady progress.

Phase 5: Wrap-Up and Evaluation (Aug 2025)

• Final Submissions:
  • Ensure contributors submit their final work to the GSoC platform.
  • Review and evaluate their projects collaboratively with mentors.
• Community Recognition:
  • Celebrate successful projects with blog posts and social media highlights.
  • Encourage contributors to remain active in the JSON Schema community.

Phase 6: Post-GSoC (Sep 2025 and Beyond)

• Sustain Contributions:
  • Invite contributors to maintain and expand their projects.
  • Provide guidance for transitioning projects into long-term community efforts.
• Gather Feedback:
  • Collect feedback from mentors and contributors to improve future participation.
• Write a blog post

Timeline Summary

Phase	Dates (Tentative)
Program Preparation	Dec 2024 - Jan 2025
Application Submission	Jan 2025 - Feb 2025
Contributor Engagement	Feb 2025 - May 2025
Coding Period	May 2025 - Aug 2025
Wrap-Up and Evaluation	Aug 2025
Post-GSoC Activities	Sep 2025 and Beyond

Notes

• GSoC timelines are tentative and based on Google’s official schedule.
• This issue will be updated as additional details or tasks are identified.

[Honyii]

Thanks @benjagm for the detailed plan. Here are some points / action points we may also consider to improve and make the process seamless.

What do you think about;

1. Adding a blog post for past GSoC projects to showcase success stories.

2. Mentor training- if possible we can encourage past GSoC members to contribute to mentorship. For this, we can

   • Provide a detailed mentor guide outlining responsibilities and best practices.
   • Create a mentor FAQ to address common concerns about GSoC expectations.
   • Host training sessions for mentors covering communication, feedback, and conflict resolution (any previous mentors can
     contribute to this).

3. For pre-proposals we can;

   • Host workshops or office hours to explain how to write compelling project proposals.
   • Share examples of strong proposals from previous years.
   • Provide a checklist for contributors to review before submission.

4. How do we mitigate risks - we can;

   • Identify common risks, such as contributors dropping out or mentor unavailability.
   • Develop contingency plans, like backup mentors or project reassignments.
   • Monitor potential delays and have a system to address them early.

5. Checkins / Retro - we can;

   • Schedule a midterm review of all ongoing projects with contributors and mentors.
   • Host a community retrospective session to discuss what’s working and what needs improvement.
   • Document lessons learned and apply them for the remaining duration of GSoC.

[benjagm]

I like the proposal @Honyii!! I'll add them to the plan.

[benjagm]

Closed in favour of #852