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Open Source Strategy

🌱 Tilli Open Source Community Plan(v1)​

1. Vision & Goals​

Vision Build a thriving open-source community around Tilli’s social-emotional learning (SEL) tools to foster collaboration, transparency, and global impact.

Goals

  • Increase Contributions: Attract developers, educators, and researchers to contribute to Tilli’s open-source projects.
  • Improve Documentation & Accessibility: Ensure all repositories are well-documented, beginner-friendly, and welcoming to new contributors.
  • Expand Adoption: Encourage schools, NGOs, and developers to use and adapt Tilli’s tools for diverse educational contexts (from learning to assessments).
  • Strengthen Governance: Establish clear contribution guidelines, mentorship, and decision-making processes.

2. Target Audience​

  • Developers (frontend/backend, AI/ML engineers)
  • Educators & SEL Specialists (for feedback, use cases, and localization)
  • UX/UI Designers (to improve accessibility and gamification)
  • Researchers (to validate learning efficacy and contribute to assessment tools)
  • Nonprofits & Government Agencies (for piloting and scaling)

3. Engagement Channels & Activities​

A. Onboarding & Documentation​

✅ Action Items:

  • Maintain clear READMEs with setup instructions (Example)
  • Create a "Good First Issues" label in GitHub for beginner-friendly tasks
  • Develop a Contributor’s Guide (how to submit PRs, report bugs, propose features)
  • Host quarterly "New Contributor Welcome" sessions (virtual)

B. Community Collaboration​

✅ Action Items:

  • Monthly Tilli x OS Meetups (showcase progress, discuss roadblocks, plan sprints)
  • GitHub Discussions (for brainstorming, RFCs, and Q\&A)
  • Open Office Hours (bi-weekly support from the core team)
  • Translation & Localization Teams (beginning with Arabic and expanding)

C. Recognition & Incentives​

✅ Action Items:

  • Highlight top contributors in monthly newsletters & GitHub READMEs
  • Provide badges & digital certificates for meaningful contributions
  • Feature success stories (e.g., “How a contributor improved test coverage”)
  • Offer potential stipends for long-term contributors (via UNICEF/GSoC)

D. Outreach & Partnerships​

✅ Action Items:

  • Apply to Google Summer of Code (GSoC) and similar programs
  • Present at edtech/open-source conferences (e.g., FOSS4G, OSCON)
  • Partner with universities for CS/SEL research
  • Engage with Digital Public Goods Alliance (DPGA) for visibility

E. Governance & Sustainability​

✅ Action Items:

  • Document governance model (decision-making, roles, mentorship)
  • Maintain a public roadmap (via GitHub Projects or a dedicated page)
  • Encourage upstream contributions (e.g., improvements to ZIO, Play Framework)
  • Regularly audit community health(metrics: new contributors, PRs, issue resolution time)

4. TBD: Key Metrics for Success​

MetricTarget (Quarterly)
New contributors5–10
Pull Requests merged15–20
GitHub Discussions active10+ threads
Meetup attendance20+ participants
Localization progress1 new language

5. Timeline & Next Steps​

Q2 2025 (Current Focus)​

  • Finalize Contributor Guide and Good First Issues
  • Launch monthly meetups and office hours
  • Begin Arabic localization with community support

Q3 2025​

  • Apply for Google Summer of Code (GSoC)
  • Improve automated testing & CI/CD with community help
  • Host first external workshop (e.g., at an open-source conference)

Q4 2025 & Beyond​

  • Expand governance model (community-elected maintainers)
  • Develop community mentorship program
  • Publish yearly impact report (showcasing community contributions)

6. Resources & Links​