The PyCon US Blog

Get to know the all-star lineup of PyCon US 2025 keynote speakers . They’ve graciously answered our questions, and shared some conference advice plus tidbits of their backstories–from rubber ducks to paper towel printing to Pac-Man. Read along and get excited to see them live as we count down to the event! How did you get started in tech/Python? Did you have a friend or a mentor that helped you?  CORY DOCTOROW : My father was a computer scientist so we grew up with computers in the house. Our first "computer" was a Cardiac cardboard computer (CARDboard Illustrative Aid to Computation) that required a human to move little tokens around in slots: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CARDboard_Illustrative_Aid_to_Computation Then in the late seventies, when I was 6-7, we got a teletype terminal and an acoustic coupler that we could use to connect to a PDP-11 at the University of Toronto. However, my computing was limited by how much printer-paper we had for the teletype. Luckily, my mo...

Calling all community organizers! We want to sit down together and share what’s going well, what new tricks we’ve learned, and what’s been challenging in the area of organizing Python and Python adjacent communities. So if you’re attending PyCon US this year and you run a local Python meet-up, help organize a regional conference, or facilitate peer learning through workshops or hack nights, we hope you will join us at the Community Organizer Summit and the PSF & Meetups Discussion . Community Organizer Summit: 10:30 am - 1 pm on Saturday, May 17th PSF & Meetups Discussion: 1pm - 2pm on Sunday, May 18th Saturday’s Community Organizer Summit kicks off with a keynote and then three short “Show & Tell” slots, for which the CFP is open now . After the more formal sessions, we’ll break into unconference discussions, so be sure to bring your ideas. If you’re not able to make it to Pittsburgh but you want to join the ongoing conversation about conference organizing, please consi...

The conference starts days before the first official talk. There’s topic-specific summits, sponsor presentations, and deep-dive tutorials that are definitely worth checking out. Similarly, the conference does not end with the last talk. For the next four days, groups of enthusiasts rally around their projects and sprint on making them better in person. Some say it’s the best part of the conference, actually. Let’s take a closer look then! Who organizes the sprints? Sprints at PyCon US are organized by the attendees. The conference provides the space with tables, power strips, Internet connectivity, and, for the first two days, catered lunches. The attendees band together to work on their open-source and community projects of choice. You can expect bigger projects like CPython, Django, Flask, or BeeWare, to have their own dedicated rooms to hack on their stuff. Smaller projects either group together topically or just join a random friendly room with empty seats. Of course, the general r...

Call for Volunteers! Looking to make a meaningful contribution to the Python community? Look no further than PyCon US 2025! Whether you're a seasoned Python pro or a newcomer to the community and looking to get involved, there's a volunteer opportunity that's perfect for you. Sign-up for volunteer roles is done directly through the PyCon US website . This way, you can view and manage shifts you sign up for through your personal dashboard! You can read up on the different roles to volunteer for and how to sign up on the PyCon US website . PyCon US is largely organized and run by volunteers. Every year, we ask to fill over 300 onsite volunteer hours to ensure everything runs smoothly at the event. And the best part? You don't need to commit a lot of time to make a difference– some shifts are as short as 45 minutes long! You can sign up for as many or as few shifts as you’d like. Even a couple of hours of your time can go a long way in helping us create an amazing experien...

Help us make PyCon US welcoming, fun, and safe! We are looking for volunteers to join the Code of Conduct Team for PyCon US 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. The Code of Conduct Team supports the PyCon US community by taking reports should anyone violate the PyCon US Code of Conduct and, when appropriate, participating in deciding how PyCon US should respond. Code of Conduct Team shifts are 3-4 hours long. We are looking for volunteers for the tutorials (May 14 - 15), the main conference (May 16 - 18), and the first 2 days of sprints (May 19 - 20), and ask that you be prepared to do a minimum of two shifts. As a member of the Code of Conduct Team, you will: Take reports of incidents that occur at PyCon US (there’s a handy form for this) Keep track of your email and/or Slack while on shift Participate in discussions about how to respond to incidents (as needed) As a member of the Code of Conduct Team, you will not: Have to make any tough decisions on your own Have to approach anyone you are un...

International travel to the United States has become more complex for many in our community. PyCon US welcomes all community members to Pittsburgh and we are committed to running a safe and friendly event for everyone who is joining us for PyCon US in Pittsburgh. Each nation has its own relationship with the United States, so please contact your country’s State Department, Travel Ministry or Department of Foreign Affairs for travel information specific to traveling from your country to the US. Ultimately, each person must make their own decision based on their personal risk assessment and the travel conditions. If it feels feasible and safe for you to attend PyCon US this year, then we’d love to see you! It is more important than ever to connect with our fellow community members. In light of current conditions, PyCon US would like to highlight the support we provide for international travelers. Refund Policy Details If your PyCon US trip is canceled due to not being able to obtain a...

Providing travel grants to community members for PyCon US and witnessing both their growth and contributions to the event is one of the most fulfilling aspects of our work at the PSF, and every year, we only wish we could award more! PyCon US 2025 received 952 travel grant applications from 87 countries totaling almost $1.7M. We dislike using the phrase “record-breaking” every year, but it’s true! Again, the number and amount requested have broken our 2024 record . The total dollar amount requested was more than six times the available budget. For 2025, the total PyCon US revenue is budgeted at $2.3M and supports conference costs of $2.5M, including $266K in travel grant funds. The Travel Grant Team offered 272 travel grants and 33 ticket-only grants, amounting to $384K, or about 23%, of travel grant requests received. The PSF is committed to financial transparency , and in line with that commitment, we are happy to share more about how our PyCon US 2025 travel grant process works....