Building on the success of last year’s IndiaFOSS 3.0, we continued the Diversity Scholarship initiative for IndiaFOSS 2024. The scholarship aimed to support participants from across India, including Bangalore, Chennai, Trivandrum, Ranchi, Mysore, Delhi, Pune, Raipur, Udaipur, Siliguri, Shivamogga, Chidambaram, Chittoor, Viluppuram, Angamaly, Dharamshala, Jashpur, Amravati, Kochi, and Gujarat. It provided opportunities for students, professionals, underrepresented groups, gender minorities, and women by covering travel, accommodation, and conference tickets.
We successfully raised ₹2,10,000, plus some funds carried over from IndiaFOSS 3.0. These resources enabled us to support 57 scholars out of which 47 were students, 9 professionals, and 1 speaker, giving them the opportunity to attend and engage with the event.
Diversity Scholarship - IndiaFOSS 2024
Diversity Scholarships Report
Outreach and Application Process:
Our outreach efforts included campaigns on social media, forums, and direct communications with organizations supporting underrepresented groups, gender minorities, and students. The Diversity Workgroup worked diligently to connect with organizations like NavGurukul, VGLUG, Aikyam Fellows, FAT Organisation, and JTD Foundation to ensure broader participation.
Applications required minimal information, focusing primarily on why applicants wanted to attend the conference. We received applications from individuals across India, as well as from participants affiliated with various organizations.
Feedback from Scholarship Recipients:
-
“We attended a FOSS event where we explored various inspiring open-source projects, which left us motivated to start our own initiative!
During the event, we met many amazing people and had great conversations. I also came across an incredible open-source project called RTE (Right to Education), which really captured my interest. They are helping schoolgirls learn programming languages.
A big thanks for inviting us to such an insightful event!” -
“I wanted to share a quick update regarding the recent FOSS meeting. It was a great experience, and we had the opportunity to meet Bowrna, one of the open-source contributors. She has kindly agreed to provide guidance for the open-source project
I reached out to her, and she responded yesterday, mentioning that she will schedule a call with us this upcoming Saturday or Sunday. We are grateful to FOSS for inviting us to the meeting.” -
“I’d like to thank you for this wonderful opportunity.
This was my first national level conference and it was just mind blowing. I learnt a lot from the talks, the discussions and did network with many people.
The exposure I’ve gained has been invaluable. I look forward to staying connected with the FOSS United community.
Thank you so much.” -
“what was also surreal to me is to connect and talk with CTO, Co-founder, industry experts of start ups. Interestingly I was able to grab spectmatic swags after participating in their challenge. Looking forward to connecting with the FOSS team and joining more events like this. I can’t thank you all enough for making this happen.”
-
“I recently attended the FOSS United conference and had an incredibly enriching experience. Vishnu Mohandas inspired me with his insights on the essentials of starting new ventures: investment, trust, patience, and the willingness to face challenges.
I also connected with Bowna, who encouraged me to contribute to open source projects and offered invaluable guidance on how to get started. This experience emphasized that open source is not just about technology but also about understanding business dynamics and the challenges that come with it.
I learned the importance of collaboration it’s crucial not just to build, but to share ideas and seek support from others. Additionally, I was impressed by innovative projects like NREGA AI and Drone AI, which showcased the intersection of technology, law, cybersecurity, and hardware.
Overall, I left the conference feeling inspired and equipped with new knowledge. Thank you for such a valuable experience!” -
“Attending FOSS United Bengaluru was a surreal experience for me. I never imagined I’d have the opportunity to attend such an incredible event. From participating in insightful talks and connecting with co-founders, CTOs, and industry experts from various startups, to networking with like-minded people and collecting cool stickers and swag it was an unforgettable event, and most excitingly, win the Specmatic challenge! I’m really grateful to the FOSS United organizers for making it all possible.”
-
“Diversity Scholarship is a great initiative to promote inclusivity and diversity. Opportunities for learning and networking with experts in the field. Overall, I felt that the conference was a valuable experience that offered a lot of learning and growth opportunities.”
-
“I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for organizing the recent FOSS Meetup. It was a fantastic experience, and I appreciate the effort put into making it happen.
The sessions were informative and engaging. It was a pleasure to meet like-minded individuals and exchange ideas. The networking session was well-structured, which facilitated meaningful conversations.
I found the FOSS Meetup to be a rewarding experience, and I look forward to participating in future events. Thank you again for your hard work in organizing such a valuable gathering.”
Challenges
One of the main challenges we faced was funding limitations. While we aimed to support all participants with travel and accommodation, we were only able to provide these for the majority of scholars. However, all scholars did receive conference tickets, and we tried our best to provide accommodation to as many participants as possible.
Key Learnings for Future Programs
- Securing additional funding to offer more comprehensive support to a greater number of participants.
- Expanding outreach to more regions and communities can further increase diversity.