My GitHub Campus Expert Ambassador Application Experience
This year I was selected to be a GitHub Campus Ambassador, and Im excited to write this post to provide a little more insight into the process and how you can bring your best foot forward into the upcoming school year if your interested in applying.
I have been excited to be a Campus Expert ever since I was in my first year, as I was intrigued by the student programs and initiatives offered, and ever since the summer of my grade 12 year I had started using github to venture into different projects, and wa familiar with the platform.
I got the chance to learn more about the program after meeting a few of the Github Campus Experts at a local event and I was so inspired by each one of them — they had diverse backgrounds and experiences and it was great to hear their journeys and initiatives in their communities.
I had the chance to connect with some of them again at the Field Day in Toronto this year, which solidified my interest. At the event I was able to meet with one of the organizers of the program.
The process I went through after the main application is as follows, which is also same as on their site.
The main takeaway or advice I would say is to show your engagement and experiences. I think that after being declined the first 2 times, I worked on developing my experiences over the year which helped me to solidify my application this year. Im excited for what I can contribute to this year!
For more context and straight from their site:
Enrich your college technical community
Learn the skills to build and grow diverse technology communities on campus with training, mentorship, and support from GitHub.
WHO WE ARE
Students leading campus technical communities
Campus Experts are student leaders that strive to build diverse and inclusive spaces to learn skills, share their experiences, and build projects together. They can be found across the globe leading in-person and online conferences, meetups, and hackathons, and maintaining open source projects.
WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN
Get training and support from GitHub
As local leaders, Campus Experts know the challenges students on their campuses face. With the GitHub Campus Experts training, you’ll learn technical and professional skills — like public speaking, technical writing, community leadership, and software development — that will help you build a strong technical community, teach valuable skills, create new opportunities for your student community, and position your institution within a global community of student leaders.
Process:
Get the GitHub Student Developer Pack
The GitHub Student Developer Pack gives you access to more than 100 premium developer tools for free. It is essential for you to have the Pack to apply to the program.
Complete the application form
Complete the application to help us learn about you and your interest in the program. Applications are open for a month in February and in August. Two weeks after applications close, you’ll be notified of your application status.
Submit a video resume
If your application was successful, you’ll be invited to submit a 5-minute video introducing yourself and your community. Let us know your motivations, community vision, and goals.
The video needs to be submitted within two weeks after receiving the invitation. We’ll take a week to review your submission and notify you of your application status.
Welcome to the program!
If your submission was approved, Congratulations! You’ve been accepted to the program. You’ll go through the GitHub Campus Experts Training. The training has six modules and takes 12 hours to complete in a span of 6 weeks.
Complete the training
At the end of your training, you’ll submit a community proposal that will serve as a guideline for your community and you’ll become a GitHub Campus Expert.
FAQs
Who can apply to the program?
Any student with the GitHub Student Developer Pack can apply to the program. We welcome students from all backgrounds (designers, journalists, mathematicians, etc.) to apply.
What are the eligibility requirements?
Be at least 18 years of age.
Validate your student status through the GitHub Student Developer Pack.
Be enrolled in a post-secondary formal education institution.
Have more than one year left as a student before graduating.
Be a GitHub user for at least six months.
Not be enrolled in the GitHub Campus Advisors Program.
How many Campus Experts can there be per school?
The program will generally only accept one GitHub Campus Expert per campus. Depending on the size of a campus student population, we may open additional spots.
When do applications open?
Applications to the program open twice a year, in February and August. The application remains open for a month and you can apply once every application cycle.
What happens when I graduate?
Once you graduate you’ll become a program alum. Alumni are Campus Experts who have made valuable contributions in the past and may no longer be able to commit to the same level of participation or have graduated. To honor their contributions, we add them to the Campus Experts Alumni site for the program so they can remain connected to the community.
What if I have additional questions?
You can reach out for more information through our support form.
Some Events I hosted with GitHub Campus Experts this year:
GitHub Campus Expert Swag: