Google has announced the Summer of Code project which promises $4500 for every student who successfully completes an Open Source project by the end of Summer 2005. The program is geared toward developing new programmers, and introducing these individuals to the licensing structures and collaborative processes found in the open source community.
I think this is a great idea, and it’s excellent to see a company like Google fostering such a program that can ultimately lead to more exposure to the open movement, and greater health to the overall computer programming community. Additionally, it’s interesting to view this contest in comparison to Microsoft’s Thought Thieves competition which is based on a radically different orientation towards intellectual property.
If you know of those who may be eligible and interested in this summer (and perhaps lifetime) opportunity, do spread the word.