Professors Open Source Summer Experience

Introduction

There are more professors than ever hoping to teach the open source development process to their students -- but working in the open source world can be a daunting proposition. Professors themselves have only a limited amount of time to learn about open source, and are often unsure about how, exactly, to get started.

POSSE is designed for these professors. Sponsored by Red Hat, the POSSE program is a weeklong bootcamp that will immerse professors in open source projects. Participants will spend a week of intensive participation in selected open source projects, led by professors with experience in teaching open source development, in partnership with community members who have deep experience and insight. By the end of the session, participants should have a much better understanding of the workings of open source projects, and a strong network of contacts to lean on as they begin to bring students into the open source world.

Dates

Participants will arrive on Sunday, July 19th, 2009 for a reception and opening keynote, and then will leave on Friday, July 24th, 2009, no doubt happy and exhausted after many, many hours of hacking, thinking, arguing, learning, and teaching.

Location

POSSE will be held at Red Hat headquarters in Raleigh NC.

Who is Eligible

Any professor who teaches programming, at any level, is eligible to apply. Strong preference will be given to those professors who are planning to incorporate elements of open source development in an upcoming course, but have not yet had the opportunity to participate directly in an open source project.

Costs

Those selected to participate will have their living costs covered for the week; participants will be responsible for travel expenses to and from the site.

How to Apply

Applications are closed for the Summer 2009 session. However, professors who are interested in participating in future sessions of POSSE can feel free to submit applications at any time, including:

• An introductory statement, in which the applicant should discuss his/her interest in open source;
• A list, with brief descriptions, of courses taught over the past few years;
• A list, with brief descriptions, of upcoming courses, with emphasis on any that may include elements of open source development;
• Contact information.