Every year, PyCon DE & PyData brings together people from many backgrounds, cultures, and communities. Some arrive with long histories in open source, others attend their very first international tech event. And while the conference experience is full of visible moments — talks, workshops, hallway conversations — one essential part of the event happens quietly, long before anyone arrives in Darmstadt.
That work is carried out by the Diversity Committee: a small group of volunteers dedicated to ensuring that financial and structural barriers don’t prevent motivated, talented individuals from joining the conference. Their decisions influence who gets to be in the room, whose perspectives are included, and how accessible the conference becomes each year.
Here’s a look behind the scenes at how this committee operates.
The Diversity Committee’s purpose is to support people who would benefit from attending the conference — and who would contribute to the community — but who might not have the means to participate otherwise.
Financial Aid helps applicants experiencing financial hardship, people from underrepresented and systemically oppressed groups, students,
job seekers, and participants coming from regions where attending an international event would be difficult.
The core belief is simple:
A more diverse group of attendees makes the entire conference richer, more representative, and more vibrant.
The committee begins its work well in advance of the conference because preparing a fair review cycle, handling communication, and supporting visa processes for international applicants all require significant time.
Early in the cycle, the committee:
Once applications open, the committee moves into its most intensive period of evaluation.
To make the process equitable and thoughtful, the committee follows a structured, multi-step review system.
Each application is reviewed by several committee members.
Reviewers do not see each other’s scores until all assessments are complete, reducing bias.
A strong motivation statement is crucial.
The committee looks for applicants who not only want to learn but also plan to bring value back to their communities — through open-source
work, meetups, education, mentoring, or organizing initiatives locally.
Economic circumstances, geographic and social background, visa barriers, and access to similar opportunities help the committee understand each applicant’s situation.
Applicants may self-identify as part of an underrepresented group, and this information is considered sensitively and without imposing definitions.
When resources are limited, preference often goes to applicants who have not received financial aid in the past or who are attending PyCon DE for the first time.
Once decisions are made, the committee remains closely involved, helping grantees prepare for their trip. This includes:
This ongoing support ensures that grantees feel informed, welcomed, and confident throughout the process.
The committee is typically composed of four to five volunteers who meet regularly throughout the year.
Members bring a mix of experience from event organisation, community work, open-source contributions, and diversity and inclusion
initiatives.
New volunteers are invited once a year — usually around October–November, in alignment with the general volunteer call for PyCon DE.
When selecting new members, the committee also takes diversity within the team into account to avoid replicating the same structural biases
it aims to address.
A diverse group of participants benefits the entire conference:
Much of the work of the Diversity Committee happens quietly, but its impact is far-reaching.
Through careful evaluation, thoughtful selection, and continuous support, the committee helps build a conference where more people — from
more backgrounds — can participate fully.
We look forward to welcoming this year’s grant recipients and continuing to strengthen our community through inclusivity.