Contributing to open source can be frightening and perplexing, depending on the project you are working on. It is worth noting that many large open source projects have a steep learning curve. However, given the popularity of open source, there are numerous ways to get started and succeed even if you’re a beginner.

Open source is a term used to describe source code that is made publicly accessible for use, viewing, modification, and distribution under a license. Usually, a group of its users work together to develop and maintain it. Django, Postgres, MongoDB, Vue, Go, Ruby, TypeScript, Git, and many others are examples of well-known open source projects.

Even though the main goal of open source projects is to make useful and accessible open source software, individual contributors can get a lot of personal benefit from working on them. You develop your technical abilities while assisting with software maintenance. Your work on open source software can serve as evidence of your abilities when you apply for jobs.

You can hone your “soft skills” (communication, giving and accepting feedback, emotional intelligence, etc.) by becoming an active member of a community dedicated to improving the open source software you use. You can network with a ton of individuals in these communities, and they’ll expose you to plenty of great chances.

Open Source Initiatives in the Caribbean

Google Summer of Code

The Calico Challenge

The Calico Challenge is a Palisadoes program that offers stipends to student developers to write software code for various open source software projects. It allows students to publicly show the quality of their work.