The AsyncAPI Maintainership Program is an 18-week annual mentorship initiative that kicks off every summer. It follows a carefully structured timeline designed to foster steady growth, hands-on experience, and long-term mentorship that empowers contributors to become maintainers.
Here’s the general timeline for each yearly cohort:
| Phase | Timing | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Program Announcement | Early July | Official program details are published, including goals, structure, and participation guidelines. |
| Call for Mentors & Project Ideas | Mid July | Maintainers and prospective mentors submit project proposals and express interest in mentoring, explaining the value of their projects for the program. |
| Mentor & Project Selection | End of July | Selected mentors are notified. Access to onboarding resources and maintainership support materials is provided. |
| Contributor Applications Open | End of July | Applications open for contributors to express interest, explore available projects, and begin required tasks (e.g., submitting a draft PR or proposal). |
| Application Deadline | Early August | Final deadline for contributors to submit their applications and complete the required tasks for their selected project. |
| Contribution Period | Mid August | Approved contributors will advance to the Contribution Phase, where they’ll begin working on the task list provided by their assigned mentor. |
| Contributors Announced | End of August | Selected contributors are notified and onboarded into the program. Slack channels, project resources, and kickoff materials are shared. |
| Program Begins | Early September | The mentorship officially starts. Contributors and mentors align on goals, expectations, and contribution plans for the cohort. |
| Program Ends | End of December | Contributors finalize and present their work. Mentors provide detailed feedback and discuss potential paths for continued involvement. |
| Graduation & Recognition | Early January | Contributors who successfully complete the program are celebrated with certificates, social spotlights, and future recommendations for roles within AsyncAPI. |
Timeline details
Below is a detailed breakdown of the AsyncAPI Maintainership Program timeline. Each phase is carefully designed to ensure transparency, fairness, and a high-impact learning experience for everyone involved.
Program announcement period — [July 1-7]:
- Program coordinators begin volunteer outreach.
- Program organizers begin the process of securing sponsorships to support contributor stipends and program operations.
- A breakdown of the yearly budget is shared to determine the number of contributor slots.
Call for mentors & project proposals period — [July 8 - 22]:
- Mentors sign up to participate by submitting their interest form.
- Program organizers actively reach out to potential mentors and past participants.
- New mentors are reviewed for eligibility and alignment with the program values.
- Mentors propose project ideas.
- Selected mentors attend a short onboarding session to align expectations.
- Selected mentors list tasks for contributors to work on during the Contribution Period.
- Program organizers review projects and approve or reject them.
Contributor Application Period — [July 24 - August 7]:
- Contributors submit applications, selecting one or more project(s) of interest.
- Program organizers begin reviewing contributor applications.
- Applicants will receive an email confirming whether they’ve moved forward to the Contribution Period.
- Rejection emails are also sent to applicants who aren’t selected.
- Mentors’ task lists and requirements are shared with selected applicants.
Contribution Period — [August 8 - August 29]:
- Approved applicants begin contributing to the selected projects.
- Program organizers match applicants with mentors and share contribution guidelines.
- Mentors host virtual onboarding calls to introduce applicants to the project and the AsyncAPI community.
- Mentors help applicants set up development environments and guide their contributions.
- Mentors provide feedback and request improvements as needed on contributions.
- Applicants must submit a final project application summarizing their work by August 25.
- Rejection emails are sent to applicants not moving forward to the mentorship cohort.
- Contributions and final applications are due August 25
Mentee Selection Period — [August 30 - September 8 ]:
- Mentors evaluate contributions and final applications to select their mentee.
- Program organizers review and approve all mentee selections.
- Final selections are kept confidential until the public announcement.
Program Kickoff — [September 9 - September 16 ]:
- Public announcement of selected mentees.
- Mentees are added to project Slack channels and introduced to mentors and fellow cohort members.
- Mentors and mentees align on weekly plans, goals, and expectations.
- Cohort-wide welcome call and orientation hosted by program organizers.
Midterm Evaluations — [October 21 – 25]:
- Mentors and mentees complete mid-program evaluation forms.
- Program organizers host check-in calls with each team to assess progress and identify blockers.
- Organizers review feedback to identify any blockers, support needs, or adjustments.
- Contributors at risk of not completing the program are flagged for additional support.
Final Evaluations — [December 18–23]:
- Mentors evaluate mentee contributions, growth, and engagement.
- Mentees evaluate relationship, contribution, and impact of Mentor.
- Mentees complete self-assessments reflecting on their learning journey.
- Mentors and mentees participate in final feedback sessions with program organizers.
- Final project submissions are reviewed by program organizers.
Recognition — [January 6 - 10]:
- Successful mentees are recognized with digital certificates, community spotlight features, and letters of recommendation.
- Guidance on next steps: maintainership invitations, community roles, etc.
- A public blog post and social media highlights celebrate the cohort's achievements.
Post-Program Pathways:
- Invite mentees to stay involved: join working groups, continue contributing, or co-mentor next year.
- Provide resources for maintainership, open-source leadership, and speaking opportunities at the AsyncAPI global conferences.
