Apereo Diversity Scholarships: An Appeal

Will you help support diversity in open source by funding a scholarship?

Your organisation almost certainly uses open source software. Open source communities create valuable and widely used educational software. To continue to create and sustain software successfully, those communities need to reflect the diversity of those who use it. Inclusion is a critical value of an effective open source community, just as it is in your organisation.

The Apereo Foundation is home to seventeen software communities creating and sustaining open software serving the academic mission. Apereo is a diverse community with members and participants on five continents, yet that diversity is not always reflected at the events Apereo and its partners organize. One of the principal reasons for this is lack of funding - particularly in the global South. We want to change that.

The new Apereo Diversity Scholarship Fund is designed to help support participation in events organized by Apereo and its partners, including Open Apereo 2020. Open Apereo 2020 will take place at the University of Michigan School of Information in Ann Arbor June 15th to 19th 2020.

Applicants must be a member of or identify with a group not currently well-represented at Apereo community events, including but not limited to: Those from the global South. Lower-income or less developed countries. Women. People of color. LGBTQ+. Non-binary gender identities. Indigenous peoples. Ability/disability.

We also invite applications from members of underrepresented and/or marginalized groups that don't fit into the categories listed above.

We aim to start the ball rolling by providing at least six scholarships of $2,500 per participant. Each scholarship will be named after the donor organisation, and will feature prominently in Apereo event press releases, other promotional material, and social media. Sponsoring one Diversity Scholarship would make a dramatic difference to the opportunities of an individual from an under-represented group. 

Will your organization help us reach this goal? 

Help us build diversity through inclusion - and build better software.

Contact ian.dolphin[at]apereo[dot]org for further details.

Help us spread the word by copying this message to relevant groups or individuals in your organisation.