Rust Expands Mentorship Horizons: Joining Outreachy for the May 2026 Cohort

Introduction

The Rust Project has a strong tradition of nurturing new talent through open-source mentorship programs. Having successfully participated in Google Summer of Code for three consecutive years—including the current one—and previously in OSPP, the community now adds another milestone. We are thrilled to announce that Rust will join the Outreachy program starting with the May 2026 cohort.

Each mentorship initiative targets different audiences and eligibility criteria. Outreachy specifically aims to provide internships to individuals from backgrounds that face underrepresentation, systemic bias, or discrimination in the tech industry where they reside. To learn more about the program's mission and application process, visit the official Outreachy website.

What Is Outreachy?

Outreachy is an open-source internship program that shares similarities with Google Summer of Code (GSoC) but also has distinct features. Understanding these differences is crucial for potential applicants.

Key Differences from Google Summer of Code

• Application order: Outreachy applicants first apply to the overall program before selecting specific communities. In GSoC, applicants choose a mentoring organization and propose a project directly.
• Contribution requirement: Outreachy has a dedicated contribution period where contributions are mandatory, not optional. GSoC often recommends but does not require contributions prior to application.
• Selection process: After the contribution period, Outreachy applicants submit a formal application similar to GSoC, and communities select interns based on both the application and the contributions made.
• Internship cycles: Outreachy runs two internship rounds per year: May to August (the current one) and December to March.
• Stipend funding: For GSoC, Google generously covers contributor stipends and administrative overhead. In Outreachy, the participating communities themselves fund the interns’ stipends and overhead.

The Rust Project’s Participation

Due to limited funding availability and mentoring capacity, the Rust Project has selected four interns for the May 2026 cohort. Below is an overview of the projects chosen for mentorship.

Calling Overloaded C++ Functions from Rust

Intern: Ajay Singh
Mentors: teor, Taylor Cramer, and Ethan Smith

This experimental project aims to enable Rust code to call overloaded C++ functions—a feature currently unsupported. The work will involve designing and implementing an initial prototype, then testing it on a few representative use cases to evaluate feasibility and performance. Success here could significantly improve interoperability between Rust and existing C++ codebases.

Code Coverage of the Rust Compiler at Scale

Intern: Akintewe Oluwasola
Mentor: Jack Huey

This project focuses on developing workflows to run and analyze code coverage for the entire Rust compiler test suite, as well as for ecosystem crates detected by Crater. The goal is to identify under-tested areas within the compiler and the broader ecosystem, and to build tools that enable continuous analysis. The outcome will help ensure that compiler changes are thoroughly validated before release.

Fuzzing the a-mir-formality Type System Implementation

Intern: Tunde-Ajayi Olamiposi
Mentors: Niko Matsakis, Rémy Rakic, and tiif

The project involves implementing fuzzing for a-mir-formality, an in-progress formal model of Rust's type and trait system. By automatically generating a wide variety of test inputs, the fuzzer will uncover edge cases and potential inconsistencies in the model. This work is critical for making the formalization robust and ensuring that future changes to Rust's type system are based on a solid foundation.

Fourth Project (Details Not Yet Published)

The Rust Project has selected a fourth intern, but details of their project will be announced separately. Stay tuned for updates on the official Rust blog.

How to Get Involved

If you are interested in participating as an intern in future Outreachy cohorts, monitor the Rust Project’s official blog and the Rust website for announcements. The project also welcomes mentors who can guide new contributors; reach out through the Rust community channels to offer your support.

Rust’s involvement in Outreachy underscores its commitment to diversity and inclusion in open source. By providing mentorship to underrepresented groups, the project strengthens the broader software ecosystem and enriches its own community with fresh perspectives.