Building an inclusive, equal, diverse, and open environment has been a significant part of NumFOCUS’s vision. We’d like to share updates on the projects and initiatives that are bringing this vision closer to reality, step by step.
DEI initiatives led by NumFOCUS aim to serve the Sponsored and Affiliated project communities as well as the broader NumFOCUS ecosystem.
Who is who?
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programming is created and implemented by the Diversity & Inclusion in Scientific Computing (DISC) Committee and the NumFOCUS DEI Project Lead who is also a non-voting member of the DISC Committee.
DISC Committee
The Diversity & Inclusion in Scientific Computing Committee was established in 2017. The Committee’s mission is to “strive to help create a more diverse community through initiatives and programming devoted to increasing participation by and inclusion of underrepresented people.”
Committee members are elected for two-year terms with an option for unlimited renewals. The following volunteers are serving the 2024–2026 term which began on April 30, 2024.
- Melissa Mendonça
- Anita Ihuman
- Emma Saroyan
- Eloisa Elias Tran
- Kweyakie Blebo
- Rashid Mvk.
These committee members represent a wide range of geographical locations, DEI skills, and experience levels. You can learn more about them here.
The Committee meets monthly and collaborates between meetings via a Slack channel and email groups. During the June meeting, the Committee will discuss the scope of the projects they will soon be focusing on.
Individual Contributors
DEI initiatives led by NumFOCUS are supported by the time, knowledge, and enthusiasm of our volunteers. Each role, such as mentor, speaker, moderator, committee member, or feedback provider — is crucial in creating a more inclusive open-source ecosystem. We want to express our sincere gratitude for their unique contributions!
DEI Project Lead
The NumFOCUS DEI Project Lead position was created in July 2023 and fulfilled by Kamila Stepniowska. The DEI Project Lead works closely with the DISC Committee, serving as a bridge between the Committee and NumFOCUS supporting the Committee’s everyday operations as a non-voting member. In addition, the DEI Project Lead focuses on developing and implementing educational and community-building initiatives, such as those listed below.
Ongoing DEI Projects & Resources
We are currently working on multiple DEI projects at NumFOCUS, each at different stages with different challenges. Below is a brief summary all focused on inclusion, with an emphasis on the Global South, DEI education, and building a kind and welcoming community environment.
DISC Committee
The new DISC Committee members will decide which projects they want to implement during their terms. We will keep you posted on their decisions.
The only exception is the Unconference. The work on this project started at the beginning of this year, during the previous committee’s term.
The DISCOVER Cookbook is intended as a resource for conference and event organizers to support and encourage diversity and inclusion. This signature project of the DISC Committee was started in 2017 and updated by the committee during the 2022–2024 term.
DISC Unconference 2024, São Paulo & online
This year, we would like to focus on empowering the Global South by holding the 2024 DISC Unconference in São Paulo, Brazil, and extending online access for participants unable to travel.
The unconference format is unique. Participants are also contributors, deciding on the projects to work on during the event and supporting free conversation and knowledge sharing. To better inform the decision-making process, participants start their discussion virtually about one month before the event. The projects to be worked on are decided by all the participants during the voting process which takes place on the first day of the main event. All information and project content from the Unconference will be openly available on the NumFOCUS GitHub.
New Initiatives
JADES: Mentorship Program
The Mentorship Program will link select NumFOCUS (NF) Projects with potential long-term contributors and provide them with necessary training. During the program, mentees will learn useful technical skills and best practices for navigating the OSS culture, as well as provide merge-ready contributions. Mentors will benefit from DEI and leadership training.
The Program’s proposal covers two cohorts: the pilot program (consisting of four mentees and four mentors) and the First Cohort (with eight mentees and eight Mentors). Each cohort will participate in the program for seven months. The Program will be finalized by the open-source Demo Day. Learn more about the program here.
Blockers: Funding is the major obstacle to this program’s success. We are actively seeking sponsors and donors to help support this program and provide future open-source contributors with this educational opportunity. Learn more and support our Mentorship Program here.
Impact Scholarship Program — Hackathon
Scholars and mentors from the PyData Global Impact Hackathon Program 2023 created a committee that, together with NF staff members, is working on a hybrid AI hackathon.
The hackathon is planned for Q4, 2024. More information will soon be available on the event website.
The organization committee members include:
- Mert Bozkir
- Sahana Venkatesh
- Ernest Kabahima
- Ehizojie Aligbeh
- Ghiffary Rifqialdi
- Videsh Jagai
- Amogha Kancharla
- Maxim Vasiliev.
- Jonathan Starr (NumFOCUS)
- Project coordinator: Kamila Stepniowska (NumFOCUS)
DEI Online education course
Together with Anita Ihuman, we are working on a DEI online course. We are using the Strong DEI (AKA: DEI Handbook) outline, created during the Unconference 2023, to develop an open-source, online course for NF Project leaders, PyData leaders, and others.
The course would consist of ten main modules, plus an introduction module and additional materials created by volunteer authors. The work on the modules will be coordinated, published, and distributed by NumFOCUS.
We should be able to share more information and call for contributors at the end of the summer.
Summary
Six main, DEI-oriented initiatives were developed under the NumFOCUS umbrella. We are extremely excited about the new DISC Committee, as well as the projects under development.
We need your help to create a stronger, more diverse open source community. There is a lot of growth, but there is more work to be done! Support us and donate today.
Together we can create a more inclusive OSS ecosystem,
one step at a time!
To submit your feedback, please contact the Project DEI Lead, Kamila Stepniowska at kamila@numfocus.org.
