The Discover Drupal program aims to professionally and economically empower people from historically marginalized communities through careers in Drupal. This 12-18 month initiative provides training, mentorship, and hands-on experience. Through the support of Drupal mentors and strategic partnerships, this year's cohort was a huge success, further developing the skills and talent of our graduates.
Over the past 12 months, Discover Drupal students dedicated their time and effort to this extensive program. They completed their respective comprehensive training program, DrupalEasy or Evolving Web, regularly met with their mentors, participated in weekly office hours with Ryan Price and monthly professional development workshops led by Drupal Community members. Students also attended DrupalCon Pittsburgh, where they were able to network with other Drupalers, present their final projects and take part in a recruitment fair. We are grateful for their commitment to the program. Join us in celebrating the 2022-2023 cohort!
- Haroms Terfassa
- AV Lee-A-Young
- Cindy Garcia
- Selvin Sahn
- Anastasiya Kazakova
- Briggitte Ayerves Valderas
For the upcoming 2023-2024 program year, Discover Drupal will pause the fellowship to create a strategic plan. This plan will be based on feedback from past students and mentors. The feedback has shown that there is a need to focus on equitable learning environments, where students can engage and learn from people who may have a shared identity. In “The Value of Intentional Cross-Identity Mentorship” written by Philip Wilkerson, III and Samara Reynolds, they stated, “Marginalized groups often benefit professionally when they have a mentor that shares elements of their identities. Having a mentor who shares similar identities has been shown to lower instances of imposter syndrome.” If you would like to learn more about the importance of shared identity in mentorship and workforce development, check out the following articles:
- “Looking at Myself in the Future”: how mentoring shapes scientific identity for STEM students from underrepresented groups
- Mentoring Underrepresented Students in STEMM: Why Do Identities Matter?
- How does an Equity-Centered Mentoring Program Succeed?
While we recognize the impact the program has made so far, we hope that the strategic plan will create further opportunities for marginalized folks to take on leadership roles in the program. We believe that it is important to uplift the voices of those who are historically underrepresented so that programs such as Discover Drupal are led by the needs of those most deeply impacted. It is our hope that through this level of intentionality, the program will not only serve as a resource for those who need it but it will also be an opportunity for us to highlight the talent and voices of current marginalized leaders in the Drupal community.
Over the next year, we will work with Drupal community experts and leaders to do the following:
- Develop a robust curriculum
- Deepen relationships with our strategic partners
- Cultivate new connections for internship placement and employment for Discover Drupal Graduates
Once we have developed a new curriculum and established strong relationships with key partners, applications will open for the 2024-2025 cohort in June 2024. We are excited to take this journey and look forward to sharing more!
If you would like to be a part of reimagining Discover Drupal, either as a facilitator, mentor, fiscal supporter, or career placement entity, let us know! You can reach out to Joi Garret at joi@association.drupal.org. We hope to partner with you.