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Distinguished Contributor Program - Simplified

Distinguished Contributor Program - Simplified

Distinguished Contributor Program (DCP)

Program Goals

The Distinguished Contributor Program is a community-led initiative designed to:

  1. Recognize and Celebrate Excellence
    Shine a light on individuals and organizations making meaningful, sustained contributions across the Open edX ecosystem.

  2. Inspire Ongoing Contribution and Leadership
    Motivate current and future contributors by showcasing real-world impact and role models within our community.

  3. Strengthen the Contributor Pipeline
    Encourage mentorship, collaboration, and shared learning by recognizing those who lift others as they contribute.

  4. Build a Stronger Open edX Narrative
    Provide compelling, verifiable stories that Axim and the community can share to highlight the strength and impact of our open source ecosystem.

Distinguished Contributors are recognized for their past and ongoing impact. While there are no formal obligations, the program honors those who uphold the spirit of open source by sharing knowledge, mentoring peers, and helping the community grow. We believe recognition carries influence, and that influence is best used to uplift others.

Recognition Criteria Examples

To aid nomination and selection, below are example indicators of impact across the three individual tracks and two organizational tracks. These are not obligations — they’re examples of what sustained excellence looks like in our context.

These indicators are here to support nominations and make the process fair, transparent, and meaningful.

Distinguished Engineer

  • Delivered high-impact pull requests or architectural contributions

  • Led development of tools or features adopted across multiple installations

  • Improved code quality, security, or performance through scalable refactors

  • Consistently provided thoughtful code reviews and mentorship

Distinguished Innovator

  • Designed and piloted creative learning models, plugins, or experiments

  • Drove pedagogical innovation or adoption of AI, xAPI, LTI, etc.

  • Created reusable assets, documentation, or toolkits adopted by others

Distinguished Evangelist (Advocate)

  • Published technical or community blog posts

  • Gave talks, hosted events, or helped newcomers onboard

  • Created or promoted Open edX explainer content in multiple languages or formats

Distinguished Partner

  • Enabled meaningful client or institutional adoption of Open edX

  • Demonstrated consistent quality and collaboration in implementations

  • Actively contributed back to the community (code, testing, feedback, support)

Distinguished Mission-Aligned Leader

  • Used Open edX to advance education equity, workforce upskilling, or public-good outcomes

  • Built inclusive models or partnerships in emerging markets or underserved contexts

  • Brought new mission-driven perspectives into the Open edX ecosystem

 

Emerging Contributor - Rising Star Recognition

What is the “Rising Star” Recognition?

The Rising Star recognition celebrates individuals who are in the early stages of their journey within the Open edX community but have already demonstrated exceptional promise, initiative, and impact. It is a special recognition for our ‘emerging contributor’ whose energy, curiosity, and contributions signal future excellence.

Who Should Be Considered?

Rising Stars may include:

  • First-time contributors who’ve made a visible impact.

  • Newcomers who show leadership, curiosity, or initiative in projects, discussions, or documentation.

  • Participants who actively seek mentorship, show rapid learning, and contribute collaboratively.

  • Individuals helping others—despite being early in their own journey.

They may be junior engineers, educators, advocates, community organizers, or professionals from any background.

Key Traits Demonstrated by a Rising Star

  • Initiative: Takes ownership of small tasks and seeks guidance when needed.

  • Learning Mindset: Actively asks questions, explores the ecosystem, and quickly ramps up.

  • Collaboration: Works well with others, contributes to discussions, and values feedback.

  • Early Impact: Delivered small PRs, ran a study group, wrote helpful docs, answered community questions, or contributed fresh ideas.

Pathway to Further Recognition

The Rising Star recognition is a stepping stone. Those recognized may:

  • Be invited to join mentorship programs.

  • Be guided toward longer-term contributions (e.g., through Core Contributor or DCP tracks).

  • Be considered for future recognition in categories like Distinguished Engineer, Evangelist, or Innovator.