# Preparing for the Contribution Period

The contribution period is intense and Outreachy has a set of
[recommended practices for reducing burn-out](https://www.outreachy.org/docs/community/#avoiding-mentor-burnout-during-contribution-period)
during this period. It is highly encouraged for each mentor to apply these
practices where they can.

Here are some recommendations to follow to prepare:

- **Limit communication channels**
  - It can be overwhelming if applicants can reach out over many channels and so
    we should restrict this to **one** public channel (Gitter _or_ Discourse)
    and **one** private channel (email or something similar). Please ensure
    your project descriptions on Outreachy are consistent with whichever comms
    channels you have agreed upon.
- **Don't distribute installation instructions except with microtasks that
  actually require a local deployment.**
  - Outreachy applicants will perceive this as a pre-requisite and will attempt
    to install a local deployment even if it is unrelated to the project and/or
    task
  - Most applicants will also be working on a Windows machine, which JupyterHub
    is not very compatible with, so this will generate a lot of requests for
    help when they hit issues during install and will be demotivating for them
- **Think about the "information route" for the applicants**
  - From the project description page on Outreachy, how are the applicants
    going to find the relevant microtasks to complete and any other information
    they may need?
  - This could look like a specific Discourse thread or GitHub issue that
    compiles all the info into a single place, or may involve being more
    rigorous regarding updating the project pages on Outreachy
- **Request help from the wider JupyterHub community**
  - Most of the intensity regarding the contribution period stems from mentors
    being very out-numbered compared to applicants. But we can even this out
    by asking community members to assist with answering questions as well.
    You can find a
    [call to action template](https://github.com/jupyterhub/outreachy/blob/HEAD/markdown-templates/call-to-action-contribution-period.md)
    in the repo.