Applications for the March 2022 cohort of OHM are now OPEN, learn more in this blog post.
Apply now to the March 2022 cohort, deadline updated: March 7
Dear Open Source Hardware community, friends, enthusiasts and allies: After a long incubation period, we are very happy to announce that Open Hardware Makers (OHM) is ready to open its first 2022 cohort!
What is OHM in a nutshell
OHM is an online mentorship program for open source hardware projects and their developers. Selected applicants learn the best practices for building reusable, inclusive and sustainable open projects, supported by 1-to-1 mentorship and a vibrant community of experts and peers.
How does OHM work?
Open Hardware Makers is organized in 16-weeks cohorts; during this time participants go through 8 hands-on modules, each taking 2 weeks to complete. The complete Open Hardware Makers Curriculum can be found here.
Selected applicants are matched with a mentor, interact with each other in “cohort calls”, and their projects are assessed by a group of experts who provide feedback and opportunities for improvement. They are also expected to present a demo of their projects by the end of the program, and participate in a global sprint in preparation for the demo. Learn more about how the program works and time commitmments in our website.
Why apply to OHM?
Building open hardware projects is exciting, but making them reusable, inclusive and sustainable takes quite some effort. There are lots of resources online for learning how to build stuff, but how do you ensure your project is making a contribution to the community? How do you design your project so others can find it, contribute to it, and make it grow?
Open Hardware Makers is designed to address this gap. We connect you with a global community of mentors who will guide you through this process, experts who will assess your opportunities for improvement, and peers to share your learnings along the way. Our curriculum was put together based on a wide consultation with members of the Open Source Hardware community, to ensure we are reflecting the best practices from work in real life.
Who can apply?
Applicants are already running or starting an open hardware project. Successful applicants are willing to design and develop open hardware projects that empower others to collaborate within inclusive communities. They are passionate about openness and are ready to learn and apply open hardware best practices to their projects while supporting the global open hardware movement.
To apply to OHM therefore you need to:
- - be involved in the core team of a hardware project,
- - provide a link to publicly available documentation (doesn't have to be perfect), or
- - provide a “one pager” with the project plan, including bill of materials and their availability,
- - be willing to apply open hardware, software and content licenses to your project by the end of the program.
We welcome applications from all around the world, at different stages of project development, individually or in teams.
⚙️ How to apply?
To apply to the March 2022 OHM cohort please complete our application form.
🎯 Important dates -updated-
- - Application opens: 24 January 2022
- - Webinar for applicants: 28 February 2022
- - Applications closes: 7 March 2022
- - Cohort starts: 14 March 2022
- - Cohort ends: 1 July 2022
💖 Supporting OHM
We really appreciate your support to our work! We have different support routes:
🦄 Mentors and experts are key for ensuring OHM excellence and continuity. If you would like to become a mentor or expert for OHM, please check our eligibility criteria and fill out this mentor/expert contact form
💰 You can financially support our work via OpenCollective, every contribution is meaningful!
🤝 We have options for organising tailored cohorts that suit your organization’s needs: tell us more in our sponsor/partner contact form.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us via email. We will be announcing a webinar for applicants soon, where you will be able to ask us questions on the application process, live. Stay tuned!
And remember: when in doubt, stay calm and open source everything.
Cover photo by Viktor Forgacs on Unsplash