RubyConf 2022
Houston, TX

◬ Scholarships

RubyConf offers several financial opportunities for attending the conference in person. If you have any questions, email us at rubyconf@rubycentral.org.

Student Discount

We offer a 50% registration discount for students with a confirmation of their student ID, school email, or any document showing that they're a current student. If this applies to you, send an email to rubyconf@rubycentral.org.

Conference Volunteers

Application deadline: October 14

Volunteering is a great way to help during the conference! Our volunteers assist with checking in attendees, distribute t-shirts, answer common attendee questions, and more. Volunteers must be able to commit to 10-15 hours of work (scheduled shifts will be assigned ahead of time) and, in exchange, receive a free ticket to attend sessions whenever they're not scheduled.

Opportunity Scholars and Guides Program

The Opportunity Scholars and Guides is a mentor/mentee program to support anyone interested in learning the Ruby programming language.

What is an Opportunity Scholar?

Application deadline: September 23, 2022, 11:59pm PT

Traditionally, Opportunity Scholars (Scholars) are new to the Ruby community and looking to make professional connections. Scholars are typically students, new professionals, and/or members of underrepresented tech communities (women, BIPOC, etc.) interested in starting a career in the technology sector. Scholars are paired with a Guide (mentor) who can help them get the most out of the conference, and offer insight and advice on Ruby programming and working as a developer.

Applications closed

Opportunity Scholars - Program Inclusions:

As an Opportunity Scholar, you will receive the following benefits:

  • A free ticket to RubyConf 2022

  • Pairing with a Guide (mentor); an experienced programmer or conference-goer who has attended RubyConf before and is already familiar with many key players at the conference.

  • An invitation to the Scholars and Guides Welcome Reception the night before the conference.

  • The chance to level up your skills by attending talks throughout the conference and meeting influential people in the community.

  • An invitation to your cohort's Slack community channel for instant connections and a central place to ask questions before, during, and even after the conference.

  • Dedicated front-row seating at all conference keynotes.

Opportunity Scholars - Transportation & Accommodation

Due to the generous donation from our conference sponsors and supporters, we are delighted to offer a limited amount of financial support for Scholars' transportation and/or accommodation. This support is provided on a first-come, first-served basis to Scholars who submit their paid travel costs for reimbursement. The overall fund is limited with capped reimbursements of $500 USD per Scholar.

Opportunity Scholars Application Deadline

September 23, 2022, 11:59pm PT (Please note timezone)

Testimonials From Previous Scholars

  • Scholar

    I loved being around other junior engineers... I’m the only junior-level engineer at my company right now so it was really nice to be in a community of people who may be in a similar place and to have the guidance and support of more experienced community members.

  • Scholar

    My [guide] was amazing! I loved getting the opportunity to meet with him in advance and have him talk me through what happens at RubyConf. He was also really great about checking in on me and introducing me to people he knew.

What is a Guide?

Guides are volunteers assigned to Opportunity Scholars and will provide advice, guidance, and professional support leading up to and during the RubyConf conference.

Applications closed

Guide Duties & Responsibilities

Guides are the welcoming face for our Opportunity Scholars leading up to and throughout RubyConf. We are looking for volunteers who can:

  • Recommend conference talks based on the assigned Scholars' interests, current skill levels, and experiences.

  • Make introductions between your Scholar and established developers, especially ones that might be particularly influential in their areas of interest.

  • Give feedback on breaking into the Ruby world, as your Scholar is likely looking for their first gig!

  • Check in with the Scholar regularly to make sure they have the best conference ever

Guides Application Deadline & Logistics

We realize that the application deadline may come up before you are ready to commit to attending RubyConf. If you think there is any chance that you'd attend the conference, we'd still love to have you apply! Our Guide application will allow us to match you with our Scholars based on your professional interests and skills. The application takes between 10-15 minutes to complete.

Testimonials From Previous Guides

  • Guide

    I love being able to act as a friendly face in a sea of strangers for someone who probably looks nothing like them and might be intimidated being at this conference for the first time. I like being able to welcome new people to the community and providing a kind of social oasis.

  • Guide

    I enjoyed helping my scholar feel included at the conference and excited about all the opportunities being a scholar gave her. I also enjoyed seeing her grow.

Our RubyConf 2022 Scholars & Guides