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For contributors

Build real experience.
With guidance along the way.

Work through real issues and features in a mentored open-source program. You contribute useful work while the maintainer provides the context, feedback, and review that help you grow.

Get started with GitHubSee how a program works

Free for public repositories · Private pilot · GitHub sign-in

  • Real project workContribute useful changes to an existing codebase.
  • Human guidanceDiscuss your approach, apply feedback, and improve.
  • Experience you can shareGive others context for your work and collaboration.

See the experience

What contributing
with Devprentice looks like.

Understand the roadmap, make useful changes, and improve through human feedback. Keep a record of the experience and choose whether to share it.

Devprentice for Contributors — Build in a Real Project · YouTubeWatch the contributor overview on YouTube

A useful contribution.
A chance to grow.

What you gain

Practice working with other developers.

Learn your way around an existing codebase, explain your decisions, and work through review. Build experience with the communication and collaboration that surround the code.

What you bring

Help a real project move forward.

Take on agreed work, communicate your progress, and follow through on feedback. Your effort helps the project while its maintainer helps you develop.

How it works

A clear path
through the work.

  1. Agree the program

    Understand the roadmap, starting skills, expected commitment, reviewer, and AI policy before accepting a place.

  2. Contribute and improve

    Work through the agreed tasks on GitHub. Discuss your approach, submit changes, and apply feedback as you move through the milestones.

  3. Keep the experience in context

    Your Contribution Record connects the work with feedback, revisions, and reviewed outcomes. Choose whether to publish it.

Learning through contribution

Carry what you learn
into the next milestone.

A program gives you time to understand a project and contribute across several pieces of work. Feedback on one task helps you approach the next with more context.

  1. Understand the projectReproduce and fix an incorrect issue count
    Accepted
  2. Improve filteringAdd useful filters and handle empty results
    This example
  3. Add saved viewsSave and restore a useful set of filters
    Up next
  4. Improve access and reliabilityAdd keyboard support and relevant regression coverage
  5. Document and hand overExplain the changes and remaining considerations

Milestone 02 · Improve filtering

  1. Understand and discuss

    Day 1

    Milestone 02Add useful filters and handle empty results

    • Read the task and its context
    • Ask about the expected behavior
    • Agree an approach

  2. Build the change

    Day 3

    feature/issue-filtersOpen

    Adds label and status filters to the issue list, with tests for each filter.

    +118−95 files changed

  3. Receive feedback

    Day 4

    Maintainer · reviewWhat should happen when no issues match?

    Maintainer · reviewPlease cover that case with a test, so it stays fixed.

  4. Revise the work

    Day 5
    // Show an empty state when nothing matches− return <IssueList issues={matches} />;+ if (matches.length === 0) {+   return <NoMatchingIssues />;+ }+ return <IssueList issues={matches} />;

    Contributor · revisionI added the empty state and a regression test.

  5. Move into the next milestone

    Next milestone

    Up next · Milestone 03Add saved views, building on the filters you just shipped.

Illustrative program. Scope, duration, and review arrangements vary by program.

Contribution Record

Sample Contribution Record

CompletedPrivateFictional

Invitation reliability program

Sample contributor completed Invitation reliability program · Jun 12, 2026

Accepted milestones

  1. Distinguish expired and already-used invitation links

    Acceptance criteria: Expired and already-used invitation links show distinct states, retries stay safe, and regression tests cover both.

    Reviewed by Sample maintainer on May 23, 2026.

    Acceptance context: The first review asked for an already-used-link regression test and a note on the expected state. The revision added both, so the bounded task was accepted.

    • Earlier submission 1

      First submission: distinct expired-link state with tests.

      Earlier submitted revision; not the accepted submission

    • Accepted work 2

      Added the already-used-link regression test and explained why later visits show the completed invitation state.

      Submission present when this milestone was accepted

  2. Agree the retry edge cases before coding

    Acceptance criteria: Duplicate, expired, and interrupted requests are listed and agreed before the retry path is changed.

    Reviewed by Sample maintainer on Jun 8, 2026.

    Acceptance context: The edge cases were agreed before coding, and the change matched them.

    • Accepted work 1

      Edge-case list agreed in review, then the retry change with tests.

      Submission present when this milestone was accepted

Maintainer confirmation

The maintainer confirmed that the required milestones were accepted.

Both required milestones were accepted. The contributor applied review feedback within the agreed scope.

Record details

Repository
example-org/invitation-service
Completed
Jun 12, 2026
Based on a fictional sample. This is not a skill rating, credential, or independent verification.

Experience with context

Give people a clearer picture
of your work.

A Contribution Record connects what you agreed to do with the work you submitted, the feedback you received, and the outcomes reviewed by your maintainer.

Show how you approached a task, responded to feedback, and worked with someone else. Your record remains private until you choose to publish it. Repository activity follows the repository’s own visibility on GitHub.

  • Private until you publish
  • Code stays on GitHub
See a sample Contribution Record

Before you join

Know what you’re
committing to.

Choose work that fits your current skills and availability. Agree how you’ll communicate, get guidance, and respond to review before the program begins.

  1. Starting skills

    Check the languages, tools, and experience the work requires.

    Agreed before you start

  2. Time and scope

    Agree what you can take on and the availability you can maintain.

    Agreed before you start

  3. Guidance and review

    Know who will guide you and how questions and feedback will be handled.

    Agreed before you start

  4. AI expectations

    Understand what assistance is allowed and what you need to disclose.

    Agreed before you start

Program length and effort vary. Clarify any missing expectations with the maintainer before accepting.

FAQ

Questions before you contribute.

Understand the work, the people, and the expectations before you commit.

The workWhat kind of work will I do?

Work depends on the program’s roadmap. It can include fixes, features, tests, documentation, and other improvements, with agreed goals and review points across the program.

ReadinessHow much experience do I need?

Requirements vary by program. Check the codebase, starting skills, and expected level of independence, and discuss anything unclear before committing.

The peopleWho provides the mentorship?

The project maintainer or designated reviewer provides guidance and feedback. Agree who you’ll work with and how reviews and questions will be handled.

CommitmentHow much time should I commit?

Each program has its own scope and expected commitment. Agree the duration, availability, and communication expectations with the maintainer before joining.

AI expectationsCan I use AI?

Follow the program’s AI policy. Check what assistance is allowed and what must be disclosed; you remain responsible for understanding the work you submit.

JoiningDoes signing up give me a place in a program?

Creating an account and joining a program are separate steps. A request does not reserve a place; participation requires an invitation and acceptance of the program’s agreement.

SharingIs my Contribution Record automatically public?

You choose whether to publish it. The record can give others context for your work, feedback, revisions, and reviewed outcomes.

PricingDoes it cost anything?

Devprentice is free for public repositories.

Read all frequently asked questions

Start as a contributor

Put your skills to work. Keep growing.

Contribute to a real project, learn through feedback, and build experience you can explain.

Get started with GitHubMaintain a project? See Devprentice for maintainers