Ruby Australia

Ruby Australia is powered by volunteers — people like you who care about growing our community and keeping it vibrant.

Whether you're a seasoned developer or just getting started, there are many ways to contribute, learn, and connect.

💎 The Mentored Contributions Program

Want to contribute to Ruby Australia but not sure where to start?

The Mentored Contributions Program helps connect enthusiastic community members with experienced Rubyists — building skills, confidence, and lasting connections.

This program is open to anyone who wants to:

learn to contribute to open source projects (as a mentee), or
support others through their experience (as a mentor).

👩‍💻 For Mentees (New Contributors)

Want to get your first contribution under your belt?
We'll help you do it with structure and support.

How it works

Register as a volunteer
👉 Fill out our volunteer form it helps us match you with mentors and track your progress.
Find your first issue
While we're matching you with a mentor, browse our GitHub project board
Start contributing
Each mentee aims to complete 4 tasks per month.
- Most issues count as one task (or "credit").
- Larger or ongoing work can count for more.
- Credits are adjusted fairly depending on your experience.
Ask for help when needed
Mentors offer around 1 hour of support per month which you can use however best supports your learning.
- Most mentees use this time for quick guidance on their current task.
- But if you're making good progress, you can use it for other things, such as discussing your personal projects or career advice.
Submit your PR and celebrate
When your work is merged/complete, we'd love to publicly celebrate your success (only if you're comfortable with that).

Learn more about the Mentored Contributions Program

🧑‍🏫 For Mentors (Experienced Rubyists)

Mentors are the backbone of the program. By sharing your experience, you'll help new contributors grow while keeping our community projects active and welcoming.

What's involved

Commit around 1 hour per month to review, answer questions, or offer short mentoring sessions.

Help mentees understand contribution flow, testing, and communication practices.

Give constructive feedback and celebrate their wins.

Your time can be flexible — if your mentee doesn't need help on a task, you can use it for broader discussions about their personal projects, open source, community projects, or Ruby itself.

You don't need to be a core contributor or long-time maintainer. If you can review code, explain a change, or help someone debug setup issues, you're perfect.

Recognition

Mentors will be publicly acknowledged (but only if they'd like to be).

👉 Register as a mentor or mentee

Learn more about the Mentored Contributions Program

🤝 Other Ways to Contribute

You don't have to write code to make a difference. Ruby Australia volunteers also help by:

Running events — RubyConf, RailsCamp, Rail Girls, and local meetups.
Improving documentation — making it easier for others to contribute.
Designing and writing — updating our websites, content, and social media.
Community support — welcoming new members or moderating discussions.

If you're unsure where to begin, join the Ruby Australia Slack and introduce yourself in #general. There's always something happening!

🧰 Before You Start

To participate in any Ruby Australia project, please make sure you have:

✅ Registered as a member of Ruby Australia
✅ A GitHub account
✅ Joined the Ruby Australia Slack

Once you've done these three things, you're ready to contribute!

❤️ Thank You

Ruby Australia is entirely volunteer-run. Every contribution—big or small—helps us support events, tools, and community spaces that bring Rubyists together across the country.

We're glad you're here. Let's build something great together.