Rust Expands Mentorship: Joining Outreachy for the May 2026 Cohort

A New Chapter in Rust’s Mentorship Journey

The Rust Project has steadily built a reputation for fostering new contributors through structured mentorship programs. Having participated in Google Summer of Code (GSoC) for three consecutive years, including the current one, and previously in the Open Source Promotion Plan (OSPP), the project is now taking another significant step. We are thrilled to announce that Rust will join Outreachy, starting with the May 2026 cohort. This move reflects our commitment to broadening participation in open source and supporting developers from underrepresented backgrounds.

Understanding Outreachy: How It Differs from GSoC

Outreachy and Google Summer of Code share the goal of introducing newcomers to open source, but they differ in several key aspects. First, the eligibility criteria and application flow set them apart. Outreachy targets individuals who face systemic bias, underrepresentation, or discrimination in the tech industry in their region. In contrast, GSoC is open to all students and new contributors regardless of background.

The application process also diverges significantly. For GSoC, applicants typically submit a proposal after making some initial contributions to a project. Outreachy requires a dedicated contribution period where applicants must make multiple contributions to a project before they can apply to specific communities. This ensures that interns have a taste of real collaboration before being selected. Additionally, Outreachy applicants first apply to the overall program and only later choose which communities to approach.

Another major difference lies in funding. GSoC generously provides stipends and overhead costs through Google. For Outreachy, the participating communities themselves cover the interns’ stipends and program overhead. This financial commitment underscores the Rust Project’s dedication to this initiative.

The Rust Project’s Commitment: Four Interns Selected

Given limited funding and mentoring capacity, the Rust Project has carefully selected four interns for the May 2026 cohort. Each will work on a distinct project that addresses important gaps in the Rust ecosystem. Below we highlight their work.

Project 1: Bridging C++ and Rust – Calling Overloaded C++ Functions from Rust

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

This experimental project aims to create a way for Rust code to call overloaded C++ functions directly. Currently, interop between Rust and C++ can be cumbersome, especially when C++ uses function overloading. By designing and testing a feature that resolves overloads during code generation, this work will simplify cross-language development. The project will focus on implementing the feature and validating it through a handful of representative use cases. Success could pave the way for seamless C++ interop in future Rust versions.

Project 2: Ensuring Compiler Test Coverage at Scale

Intern: Akintewe Oluwasola
Mentors: Jack Huey

Maintaining a robust compiler requires knowing which parts are well-tested and which are not. This project seeks to develop workflows that analyze code coverage of the Rust compiler across the entire test suite and across ecosystem crates detected by crater. The goal is to detect areas where testing is inadequate, both within the compiler itself and in the broader ecosystem. By building tools for continuous analysis, the project will help maintain compiler quality over time and guide future testing efforts.

Project 3: Fuzzing the a-mir-formality Type System Implementation

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

The a-mir-formality project is an ongoing effort to create a formal model of Rust’s type and trait system. This intern will focus on building a fuzzer that automatically generates inputs to test that model for correctness and robustness. Fuzzing will help uncover edge cases and subtle bugs that manual testing might miss, thereby strengthening the theoretical foundation of Rust’s type system. The work will contribute directly to the reliability of future Rust releases.

Looking Ahead: The Impact of Outreachy on Rust

By participating in Outreachy, the Rust Project is investing in a more diverse and inclusive community. These four projects not only advance the technical capabilities of Rust but also provide a structured environment for newcomers to contribute meaningfully. The interns will gain invaluable experience in open source collaboration, while the project benefits from fresh perspectives and dedicated effort.

We look forward to the contributions of Ajay, Akintewe, and Tunde-Ajayi, and we hope this cohort marks the beginning of a long-term involvement with Outreachy. If you’re interested in following these projects or mentoring future interns, keep an eye on the Rust blog and community channels.