Open Source Academy

At Catalyst, we are dedicated to nurturing young minds and fostering a passion for open source technologies. Our Open Source Academy helps to equip senior secondary school students with basic skills and knowledge to help them consider a career in tech ahead of making further education decisions.

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Our Open Source Academy vision

Our goal is not just to educate, but to inspire. By the end of our academies, students will have the skills and confidence to actively contribute to open source projects in their own time or to join our industry when they are ready.

The Open Source Academy has been running since 2011. Since then, three of our students have been given full time permanent jobs at Catalyst, with a number more in paid part time or holiday work as they finish school or university.

Open Source Academy reviews

Aleisha, Open Source Academy 2014, Catalyst Open Source Scholarship, Rōpū kohinga Technical Lead

"Catalyst's Academies exposed me to a side of programming and gave me the kind of insight that got me excited about coding and development, and helped cement my dreams to be a woman in ICT."

Wellington IT teacher



"[My student] was so excited about her work at the Catalyst Open Source Academy over the holidays ... you've opened her eyes to new possibilities."


Chris, Kaihuawaere Matihiko, Senior Leadership Team


"It is always amazing to see how productive the students can be. In the history of the Academy students have committed over 200 patches to the Koha code base, making a real difference in the working lives of librarians all around the globe."


How our Open Source Academy works

From day one, students at Catalyst Academy start building a small application, exploring essential tools, licensing, accessibility, and application requirements. As they progress, they gain skills in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Apache, MySQL, PHP, and Python, as well as hands-on experience with Ubuntu and Catalyst Cloud server setup.

Real Project Experience
In the second week, students immerse themselves in a live open-source project, collaborating with expert developers to successfully contribute patches to the source code.

Legacy of Impact
Our students have made lasting contributions to renowned open-source projects like Drupal, Koha, Mahara and Silverstripe.

Three students are looking off camera towards a computer screen or instructor

Apply for Catalyst Open Source Academy

Our Open Source Academy is currently closed for applications. Be sure to check back at a later date for more information.