THE LINUX FOUNDATION PROJECTS

SONiC Mentorship Program

The SONiC Mentorship Program invites passionate U.S.-based college students to take their first step into the world of open source and cloud networking. If you’re eager to grow your skills, work on real-world challenges, and contribute to the Linux-based network operating system powering some of the world’s largest data centers—this is your opportunity.

Mentees will work closely with experienced SONiC contributors on impactful projects, gain hands-on experience with a wide range of hardware platforms, and become active participants in the global SONiC community.

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Available Projects

The available mentorships for the 2026 Summer/Summer-Fall semester will be posted on Monday, March 2.

Benefits for Mentees:

  • Work alongside experienced mentors on meaningful projects.
  • Gain hands-on, real-world experience across a diverse hardware ecosystem.
  • Learn best practices of working within open source development and culture.
  • Cultivate close working relationships with SONiC experts and industry leaders to expand professional network.

Ready to Apply? Browse the project list and submit your application through the LFX Mentorship Portal by Friday, April 10, 2026 . Spots are limited—apply early to increase your chances!

Summer Program Timeline:

  • Mentee application period on LFX Mentorship
    • February 20, 2026 – April 10, 2026
  • Mentee application review and applicant interview
    • April 13, 2026 – April 24, 2026
  • Selected Mentee notification
    • April 24, 2026 – May 8, 2026
  • 1st two weeks of onboarding/orientation sessions
    • May 11, 2026 – May 22, 2026
  • Mentee/Mentor working period (mentees are expected to commit ~40 hours a week on a consistent basis during this time)
    • May 25, 2026 – August 14, 2025
  • Midterm Mentee evaluation and report
    • June 29, 2026 – July 3, 2026
  • Final Mentee evaluation and report
    • August 10, 2026 – August 14, 2026

Summer/Fall Program Timeline:

  • Mentee application period on LFX Mentorship
    • February 20, 2026 – April 10, 2026
  • Mentee application review and applicant interview
    • April 13, 2026 – April 24, 2026
  • Selected Mentee notification
    • April 24, 2026 – May 8, 2026
  • 1st two weeks of onboarding/orientation sessions
    • May 11, 2026 – May 22, 2026
  • Mentee/Mentor working period (mentees are expected to commit ~20 hours a week on a consistent basis during this time)
    • May 25, 2026 – November 20, 2026
  • Midterm Mentee evaluation and report
    • August 03, 2026 – August 07
  • Final Mentee evaluation and report
    • November 16, 2026 – November 20, 2026

Eligibility:

  • The SONiC Foundation will support 15 mentorship programs in 2026
    • Five (5) will be open to U.S based students
    • Five (5) will be open to Chinese based students
    • Five (5) will be open to Indian based students
  • Strong interest in open networking, systems programming, or cloud infrastructure
  • Prior experience with Linux or networking fundamentals is helpful but not required

See eligibility details here

Become a Mentee / Mentor

Any SONiC organizational member may propose a mentorship project.

  • Follow this template guide to submit your mentorship proposal
    • Proposals will be finalized by voting committee on Monday, March 2, 2026

Benefits for Mentors:

  • Get support to fast track your project that supports the ecosystem.
  • Help train the next generation of SONiC developers.
  • Create a pipeline to a diverse, well-educated pool of developers.
  • Build advocacy for SONiC and its related technologies at academic institutions and increase academia’s interest in the teaching and research on SONiC.
  • Gain valuable insight into new developer onboarding processes and how to lower the barriers to entry for new developers.

Questions? Email operations@sonicfoundation.dev

Additional Information

SONiC Mentorships are managed through LFX Mentorship, please see Mentorship documentation for details on stipends, and other FAQ’s.

Note that mentors and mentees are not considered SONiC employees. All participants must adhere to the SONiC Code of Conduct.

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