Rust Project Joins Outreachy for May 2026 Cohort

Introduction

The Rust Project has a strong track record of supporting open-source mentorship initiatives, having participated in Google Summer of Code (GSoC) for three consecutive years (including the current one) and previously in OSPP. This year marks an exciting expansion: the Rust Project is joining Outreachy starting with the May 2026 cohort. Outreachy provides internships to individuals from underrepresented groups in tech, offering a unique pathway into open-source contribution. This article explores what Outreachy is, how it differs from GSoC, and details the four interns selected for this inaugural Rust cohort.

What Is Outreachy?

Outreachy is a global program that offers paid, remote internships in open source. Its mission is to support people who face underrepresentation, systemic bias, or discrimination in the tech industry where they live. Unlike some programs that focus purely on technical skill, Outreachy emphasizes creating inclusive opportunities. Interns work on real projects with experienced mentors, gaining hands-on experience and building a network in the open-source community.

Outreachy vs. Google Summer of Code

While both Outreachy and GSoC are prestigious mentorship programs, they differ in several key ways:

• Application process: In GSoC, applicants submit project proposals directly to open-source communities. In Outreachy, interns first apply to the overall program and are then matched to specific communities.
• Contributions: GSoC often encourages but does not mandate contributions before applying. Outreachy has a dedicated contribution period where applicants must make contributions to their chosen community as part of the application process.
• Stipends and funding: GSoC stipends and overhead are covered by Google. In Outreachy, the participating communities themselves fund their interns’ stipends and program overhead.

Both programs run twice a year. GSoC has a single cycle (typically May–August), while Outreachy offers two cycles: May–August and December–March.

Rust’s Outreachy Participation

Due to limited funding and mentoring capacity, the Rust Project selected four interns for the May 2026 Outreachy cohort. Each project aligns with Rust’s ongoing development goals and will be guided by experienced maintainers. Below is a brief overview of the selected projects and the teams behind them.

Project 1: Calling Overloaded C++ Functions from Rust

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

This project aims to implement an experimental feature that allows Rust code to call overloaded C++ functions directly. The work will start with a proof-of-concept and then test the feature in several representative use cases. Success would significantly improve interoperability between Rust and existing C++ codebases.

Project 2: Code Coverage of the Rust Compiler at Scale

Intern: Akintewe Oluwasola
Mentors: Jack Huey

This project focuses on developing workflows to run and analyze code coverage of the Rust compiler across its entire test suite and on ecosystem crates detected by Crater. The goal is to identify areas where the compiler is inadequately tested—both internally and in the broader ecosystem—and to build tools for continuous coverage analysis.

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

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

This project aims to implement fuzzing for a-mir-formality, an in-progress formal model of Rust’s type and trait system. By generating random but valid inputs, the fuzzer will help uncover bugs and inconsistencies in the model, ensuring it correctly reflects Rust’s semantics.

Conclusion and Future Outlook

Rust’s participation in Outreachy underscores its commitment to fostering diversity in open source. The program not only provides valuable mentorship but also brings fresh perspectives to the project. With four promising projects underway, the May 2026 cohort marks the beginning of what the community hopes will be a long‑standing partnership with Outreachy. For more details about applying or becoming a mentor, visit the Outreachy website or the Rust Project.