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For Mentors

For Mentors

Proposal Submission Guidelines

  • Active contributors and community members are welcome to submit a mentorship project proposal for consideration. Those who submit proposals will serve in the mentor role.

  • Multiple mentors supervising one mentee per project is desirable as this helps spread the workload and reduce the challenge of coverage caused by working remotely with a mentee in a very different time zone.

  • The mentor(s) need to be familiar with the project and are expected to directly supervise the mentee's technical work.

  • The proposed project needs to be clearly scoped with defined objectives and outcomes, structured to be suitable for a mentorship project.

  • The project should be related to one of the current LF Networking projects such as Nephio, ONAP, OpenDaylight, FD.io, Anuket, LFN Super Blueprints, L3AF, CNTi, Paraglider, Duranta, or Essedum.

  • Proposals may be submitted as funded (mentee receives a stipend) or unpaid (no stipend). Unpaid mentorships provide the same structured experience and community engagement as funded projects.

For 2026, the LFN Mentorship Program will accept up to 2 funded project proposals. Additional unpaid mentorships may also be accepted. Once a proposal is accepted, mentee applications will be managed through the LFX Mentorship Platform. Mentors will need to create a mentor profile on the platform.

Submitting a Proposal

Please review the guidelines above and then submit your proposal on the wiki using the Project Proposal Template. Create your proposal as a child page under 2026 Mentorship Projects.

Proposal Selection Process and Criteria

The LFN TAC will review and evaluate proposals to ensure the selected mentorship projects will benefit LFN projects and the broader community. General selection criteria include:

  • The proposal has well-defined learning objectives and outcomes that serve as a springboard to onboard new contributors.

  • The proposed work can be accomplished, under the guidance of the mentors, by a new developer or contributor within the established program timeframe.

  • The proposal has a direct connection or relevance to the goals of an existing LFN project.

  • The proposal will further increase the contributor or maintainer base of the related LFN project.

  • The proposal has the potential to positively impact the diverse representation of projects, mentors, and mentees within the LFN community.

Mentor Responsibilities

  • Directly supervise and guide the mentee's technical work throughout the program

  • Conduct regular check-ins with the mentee (at least weekly)

  • Complete midterm and final evaluations of the mentee's progress

  • Help the mentee engage with the broader project community through meetings, mailing lists, and the LFN Zulip

  • Notify LFN program staff promptly if you identify issues such as extended non-responsiveness from the mentee or little to no progress despite coaching

Tips for a Successful Mentorship

Communicate

Communicate with your mentee often, whether it is to provide feedback, offer training, or check on their progress. By keeping the line of communication open you will build trust, respect, and a positive relationship that facilitates the successful completion of the project.

  • Develop a project plan to guide completion of the project by the end of week 2 (project objectives, milestones, methodology, documentation)

  • Schedule weekly check-ins to review progress, blockers, and upcoming tasks

  • Clarify communication channels and norms with the mentee, the project team, and the broader community: email, Zulip, video calls, wiki, etc.

  • Be respectful of collaboration challenges across time zones and language or cultural differences

Mentor

Mentorship is a critical part of the experience and an attribute that differentiates it from regular employment. As a mentor, it is important to give your mentee honest feedback on progress, professionalism, and skill development.

  • Set expectations early, preferably at the start of the program

  • Set challenging but achievable goals and metrics on how to measure success

  • Give praise for good work and offer critical constructive feedback; be specific and provide suggestions for how to improve

  • Model desirable behaviors, workflow, processes, and ways of working in the open source community

  • Complete evaluations in a timely manner to bring any feedback to LFN program staff and share/discuss the results with your mentee openly

Connect

To foster learning outside of your mentee's immediate tasks, encourage your mentee to develop relationships beyond their project team. A broader understanding of the LFN community, other projects, participating organizations, and potential career paths can help generate new ideas and make the mentee a more effective and longer-term contributing member.

  • Make introductions and help the mentee network with your contacts in the community and industry

  • Provide resources for additional training and learning

  • Provide context for how the mentorship relates to the broader LFN ecosystem

  • Enable the mentee to participate in the open source community with more confidence and independence over time

Revisit

Periodically revisit the learning objectives and expected outcomes established at the beginning of the mentorship. Discuss what your mentee has learned and how it can be applied in the future. Be flexible and willing to adjust the project scope, learning objectives, and outcomes based on the mentee's background and skill set.

  • Remind yourself this is a learning opportunity for the mentee, not a job with a narrowly defined job description

  • Stay flexible to modify the project scope, plan, learning objectives, and deliverables. Document modified tasks, schedule, and project plan

  • Reframe mistakes and slow progress as opportunities to develop soft skills such as communication, effective participation in open source communities, and working with distributed teams

Additional Resources