SONiC Mentorship Program – Sonic Foundation

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.

Apply Now

Available Projects

Choose from six diverse and challenging projects:

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 May 23, 2025. Spots are limited—apply early to increase your chances!

Timeline:

Mentee application period on LFX Mentorship
- May 16 – May 23, 2025
Selected mentee notification
- May 26 – May 30, 2025
Onboarding/orientation sessions
- June 2 – June 13, 2025
Mentee/mentor working period (mentees are expected to commit ~15 hours a week on a consistent basis during this time)
- June 16 – November 21, 2025
Midterm mentee evaluation and report
- August 25 – September 5, 2025
Final mentee evaluation and report
- November 17 – November 21, 2025

Eligibility:

Open to U.S.-based college students only
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.

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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