Developing HFOSS projects using integrated teams across levels and institutions

Studies have shown that the "near peer" experience where students of various levels are jointly involved in co-learning activities can motivate students and support wide learning. Humanitarian Free and Open Source Software (HFOSS) projects have shown promise for educating students using real-world projects within a global, professional community. Leveraging the near peer experience within an HFOSS project allows beginning students to get earlier exposure to large, complex systems while providing the more advanced students the opportunity to practice communication, coordination, and leadership skills. This poster describes initial steps towards the development of an HFOSS project by a mixed team of students of various levels and from three different institutions..