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If this document does not address your question, please get in touch with the Contact link at the top of the page
What are the supports for participants in the project?
All participants will be provided with a stipend, daily breakfast & lunch,
transit passes, childcare support, and a laptop (which graduates keep)
How much is the stipend?
$50 for each day of attendance
Is the stipend taxable income?
Participants will have to submit a W-9 so SSN is involved but Mozilla
is not responsible for taking taxes, individuals will have to claim
the income in their returns
How is the stipend administered?
Weekly or bi-weekly - this is still in the planning stage, will update
the site when confirmed
What's a typical day like?
Curriculum is under development but the overall plan is to have each
day contain a mix of technical work with cultural lessons and small
goals accomplished, each day is about working on the larger goal of
getting to committed code in production
Classes are Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm
There will also be some evening mixers as well as offsite trips to
local orgs and companies
How many classes can I miss?
Ideally none but if you have concerns about absences please
make sure to discuss this during the applicant interview process
What if I decide the program isn't for me, or extenuating circumstances pop up? Do I still get to keep my stipend? Can I reapply another time?
The stipend is provided based on participation, so
missed days == no stipend for that day -- special arrangements can
be made by exception
If someone decides they cannot complete the program we will make sure
they receive the stipend for the days they did participate
Should there be another Ascend Project in Portland re-application is
welcome as we understand that circumstances change. Motivation isn't
always enough, so please do try again if you are able to
Do I have to be LGBTQ to qualify?
Absolutely not - there are multiple intersections of applicability;
race/class/sexual orientation among them, this project is for
motivated people, problem-solvers, who have felt pushed away,
restricted by circumstances, or unsure how to get more deeply
involved in open source technical contribution
Does Mozilla provide childcare? What if I cannot get child care for certain days of class?
We will be working with wevillage (http://www.wevillage.com) for
childcare assistance, if that isn't viable for a particulare case we
can reimburse (to a per-participant limit) receipts from
registered childcare providers
During the application process, if you require childcare assistance,
please be sure to bring it up so that the correct plans can be made
for your childcare needs
What access and privileges do I have to the Mozilla facilities?
Access to all public space within the office, internet, plentiful snacks,
photocopier/fax/scanner, Mozilla Project meetings, social events
How do I put the experience on my resume?
Participants who complete should have bug numbers & code commit history
(both recognizable within tech industry) as proof of their contributions,
effort, and knowledge
We can also provide a certificate of completion to
state completion of 6 weeks of open source contribution training
Letters of reference can be provided by request
All participants will also have blog posts detailing their journey
which can show potential employers their process while building skills
There will be open badges for certain aspects of the curriculum
If I do well, will Mozilla hire me?
We absolutely cannot make this guarantee
However we are working with the Gnome Outreach Project for Women
to allocate spaces for Ascend graduates so that continued, paid,
internships within open source are available (these often include
Mozilla opportunities)
Ascend is also working to create partnerships with local Portland tech
companies and seeking intern/contract/entry level opportunities to
send graduates towards
I really want to do this, but ... (circumstance). How can Mozilla help me?
As this is a pilot we are collecting as much info in the application
process as possible so as to either address during these Betas if possible,
but also to add for consideration in future courses
Please tell us what you need to be successful
Even if it's not a guarantee this time, you will be helping shape
how this project can better serve you and others going forward
Is this program college/university accredited?
No
What accreditation do students receive?
None
Total hours spent in 6 week course?
240
What type of college course and level is this akin to? 200 level? Graduate level?
This is a blend of a elements of a 300 level undergrad course, with
opportunities to up-level learning rapidly, and other opportunities
to connect with other non-traditional elements
Are students graded? What are the assessments?
There are no grades as the point of this course is to create
opportunity and each participant should be motivated to get the
most out of it, for their own elevation in tech once completed
We will have milestones and goals to meet that will demonstrate
this motivation; blogging, badges, and committed code.
Who are your partners in this initiative?
* Gnome Outreach Project for Women
* Searching for more, website will be updated as they are created
Who are the instructors, mentors, staff? Place where I can see them?
Course Staff: Lukas Blakk, other in-class mentors to be announced closer to start
Curriculum Advisory: Greg Wilson, David Humphrey, Mozilla WebMakers,
and community members who have experience fostering cultural diversity
as well as training/understanding in privilege and systemic oppressions
Community Advisory: Helping with language and cultural awarenss in
project communications: Tracy Gray, Marina Zhurakhinskaya, Sumana Harihareswara,
Dino Anderson and others through outreach and requests in mailing groups
Most learning happens at Mozilla, where else will some of the learning take place?
Trainees will visit local Portland Open Source community events, companies
How much is the stipend?
$50/day ($1500 for each participant with perfect attendance)
Is other supplemental income available?
No, but this project also provides daily breakfast & lunch,
transit passes, childcare support, and a laptop to each participant
(which graduates get to keep on successful completion)
Do you provide job placement and/or training during/after the program?
We will help with qualified applicants submit to OPW,
there will be a support mailing list for participants to stay connected
beyond the project's completion where questions and support can be
maintained
What other type of training do you provide these students (e.g., Interview training, presentation, behaviour training, social skills, ...)?
Focus on communication tools that are key to success in open source
(irc, wikis, bug trackers, mailing lists, and more)
We will encourage public speaking and demo presentations by students
throughout the course
All trainees will do leadership skill building via a Strengths Finder
exercise which helps build confidence and awareness of self