Fuel the next wave of tech talent with YH4F, the FSFE’s Free Software competition

Dominik (Proxmox): Proxmox is motivated by a deep commitment to the Free Software movement and its future. Sponsoring YH4F is a direct investment in the next generation of technologists and innovators. We see this event as a great platform for fostering programming skills and, more importantly, instilling the core values of software freedom -transparency, collaboration, and user control- at an early age.

OpenSFF: Youth Hacking 4 Freedom perfectly aligns with our core mission of building a more secure open source future. What immediately stood out to us is how YH4F empowers young Europeans to create meaningful Free Software projects while learning security-conscious development practices from the ground up.
We are particularly inspired by the creativity and technical excellence we have seen from participants across all four years of the competition. These young developers are tackling real-world problems with innovative solutions, and their commitment to Free Software values gives us tremendous hope for the future of secure software development.

Dominik: Participants in YH4F and similar Free Software projects are able to gain a unique and highly valuable skill set that goes beyond just coding. More profoundly, they internalise the values of software freedom. This includes the understanding that everyone has the right to access, study, modify, and share software. These are not just technical advantages; they are core principles that empower developers to build a more trustworthy and resilient digital world.

OpenSFF: Even more, YH4F participants develop a comprehensive skill set that is invaluable for Free Software contribution. They gain hands-on experience in software development, project management, and most importantly, collaborative coding practices that are fundamental to open source communities.
The competition teaches participants to think about software as a shared resource, considering documentation, code clarity, and maintainability not just for themselves, but for future contributors. They learn to present their work to expert juries, developing crucial communication skills needed when proposing patches, participating in code reviews, or engaging with maintainer communities.
Perhaps most valuable, they experience the entire lifecycle of a Free Software project: from initial ideation and development to public presentation and community feedback. This mirrors exactly how contributions to major Free Software projects work, making these young developers natural fits for our ecosystem.

OpenSFF: YH4F provides an exceptional foundation for technology careers by combining technical skill development with real-world project experience. Participants learn to work independently, manage timelines, and deliver complete solutions—skills that are essential regardless of their future tech path.
The competition's international scope exposes participants to diverse perspectives and approaches, preparing them for the global nature of modern technology work. Monthly calls with participants across Europe build networking skills and cultural awareness that will serve them throughout their careers.

Dominik: As governments and enterprises seek to reduce their dependence on single vendors, Free Software provides a path to independence, sustainability, and transparency. A workforce fluent in Free Software principles is essential for building a resilient digital future. These individuals are not just users of technology but active participants in its evolution, capable of understanding, customizing, securing, and maintaining the infrastructure we all depend on.

Dominik: As the concept of digital sovereignty gains momentum on a global scale, we see a growing demand for professionals who understand how to build secure, independent, and resilient systems. This opens doors across a wide range of fields, from government and public sector IT to enterprise infrastructure and beyond.

OpenSFF: To add on what Dominik said, the opportunities are incredibly exciting! YH4F participants are positioning themselves at the intersection of some of the most important trends in technology: open source development, security-conscious programming, and collaborative innovation.
They will find doors open in cybersecurity, where their understanding of transparent, auditable code gives them an edge. In emerging fields like AI/ML security – one of OpenSSF's key focus areas – their foundation in Free Software principles will be invaluable as we work to develop trustworthy AI systems.
Beyond traditional tech roles, we also see opportunities in policy and governance, where their technical expertise combined with Free Software values will be crucial for shaping technology regulation and standards. Many YH4F participants could become the security engineers, project maintainers, and technology leaders of tomorrow.

Dominik: My advice is simple but powerful: embrace the community. Find a project that interests you and dive deep into the documentation and the source code, but do not stop there. Participate in forums, ask questions, and offer your help where you can. By actively engaging, you not only build your technical skills but also develop a network and a reputation for collaboration and expertise.

OpenSFF: Early exposure to Free Software fundamentally shapes how developers think about code, collaboration, and responsibility. When young developers start with proprietary, closed-source tools, they often develop a mindset of code as private property. Free Software teaches them that code is a shared resource that benefits from transparency and collaboration.
From a security perspective, early exposure to Free Software helps developers understand the importance of auditable, transparent code. They learn to write code that others will read, review, and potentially improve, naturally leading to better security practices.
Perhaps most importantly, Free Software instils values of sharing knowledge and contributing to the common good. These are not just nice ideals, they are practical approaches that lead to more robust, secure, and innovative software.

Dominik: From both a professional and personal standpoint, Free Software has been foundational to my career. While Proxmox VE is, of course, the professional project I am most passionate about, my personal favourite is the Linux kernel since its development exemplifies the very essence of Free Software: it is transparent, robust, and has created a foundation upon which so much of the modern world's digital infrastructure is built.

Dominik: The first and most important step is to find a project that genuinely interests you. Free Software exists for almost any passion—from gaming to graphic design to enterprise virtualisation. Do not be intimidated; instead, embrace the freedom and accessibility that Free Software provides.

OpenSFF: Start by identifying software you actually use and care about. Whether it's a game, a development tool, or a mobile app—if it's Free Software, there's likely a way to contribute. Begin with non-code contributions: improve documentation, report bugs clearly, help with translations, or assist other users in forums.
Once you're comfortable with the project's community and processes, look for "good first issue" tags in the project's repository. These are specifically marked as suitable for newcomers. Do not worry about making perfect contributions initially—focus on learning the development workflow and community norms.
Programs like Youth Hacking 4 Freedom are also excellent starting points because they provide structured support and mentorship while you develop your own project. The skills you learn building your own Free Software project directly transfer to contributing to existing projects.
Most importantly, be patient and persistent. Building expertise in Free Software is a journey, not a destination, but it's one of the most rewarding paths in technology today.

Stacey: It's difficult to choose just one, as so many Free Software programs have been transformative. However, I'm particularly inspired by projects that demonstrate the security and reliability advantages of open source development - like the Linux kernel, which powers much of our critical infrastructure, or security-focused projects where transparency enables community auditing.
What I love most about these projects is how they prove that collaborative development does not just match proprietary alternatives - it often surpasses them in security, reliability, and innovation.

CRob: Not Fair! I would have an easier time picking my favourite kid!! The question is a bit of a false premise, I cannot possibly pick just ONE FOSS project, there are so, so many amazing projects out there. The OpenSSF alone is home to over 20 impactful, wonderful projects, and we are just one group among over 1,000 that live at the Linux Foundation.
My favourite project TODAY is Gimp (since I am doing some graphics work using it). What I enjoy about Gimp is that I have a professional-grade tool at my disposal that the community is constantly updating with new features and fixes. Tomorrow, I expect something else, maybe Protobom will be my favourite project since I have to have several calls around Software Bill of Materials (SBOM).

Madalin: My favourite Free Software is Git - not because it's flashy or trendy, but because it quietly powers almost everything in the open source world.
Git is a version control system. Think of it as a time machine for code. It helps developers track every change they make to a project, so they can collaborate with others, experiment without fear, and easily revert to previous versions if something goes wrong. It’s the backbone of open source development, and it has completely changed how we build and maintain software. It’s the invisible foundation that makes large-scale collaboration possible. It teaches us the importance of traceability and accountability in a collaborative environment.
From a policy and cybersecurity perspective, I find Git especially interesting because it's decentralised by design. There’s no single point of failure, no central authority controlling access. That architecture reflects the values of openness, transparency, and resilience—all of which are crucial in cybersecurity. Git helps ensure that critical code can survive censorship, outages, or even attacks.
Without Git, there would be no GitHub, no massive projects like the Linux kernel, and no simple way for a new developer to contribute to a project from halfway across the world. Most importantly, Git empowers people. Anyone, anywhere in the world, can fork a program, improve it, and share it back. That sense of agency is what excites me most about open source - and what I hope more young people will discover for themselves. It shows that the most powerful tools are often the ones that empower others to build something new.