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Air Sprints: Getting Started

Want to contribute to Air during a PyCon sprint? Here's how to claim and work on GitHub issues:

🎉 Join the Air Discord

All sprinters should join the Air Discord server and watch the #pycon-davao channel for coordination, questions, and quick help. Consider enabling notifications during the sprint so you don’t miss updates.

New to Air or open source? Welcome! Friendly mentors are available to help you get started, answer questions, and guide you through the contribution process. Don’t hesitate to ask for help—we’re all here to learn and collaborate together!

📅 Sprint Schedule & Logistics

Currently there are no sprints scheduled. Anyone is welcome to organize a sprint: just mention it in Discord and we'll help you!

Past sprint details:

  • Date: October 26, 2025
  • Hours: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
  • Location: Palpitate Coffee — view on Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/eJXNvtULXF8Pui6h8
  • Sprint Leads: Daniel Roy Greenfeld, Audrey Roy Greenfeld, Sony Valdez, Micaela Reyes, Matt Lebrun (wearing bright blue Air t-shirts)

Note: If anything changes last-minute, organizers may post an update in the #pycon-davao channel on the Air Discord server, but you're good to rely on the details above during the event.

✅ Before You Start

  • Work through the Air tutorials to get up to speed with Air if you aren't familiar with it yet. File issues as you find typos or parts that are unclear.

  • Read Air's contributing guide: CONTRIBUTING.md

🔍 Finding the Right Issue

  1. Browse Issues:
    Visit the Air GitHub issues to see what's available.

  2. Look for Helpful Labels:
    Filter by labels to find issues that match your experience level:

  3. good first issue - Perfect for newcomers
  4. beginner - Approachable tasks for those new to the project
  5. pycon-davao or other sprint-specific tags - Issues designated for the current sprint
  6. documentation - Help improve Air's docs
  7. bug - Fix reported problems

  8. enhancement - Add new features or improvements

  9. Match Your Interests:
    Pick an issue that aligns with your skills and interests. Don't worry if you're not 100% sure—sprints are a great learning opportunity!

✋ Claiming an Issue

Before you start working:

  1. Read the issue carefully to understand what's needed.

  2. Check if it's already claimed:
    Look through the comments to see if someone else is already working on it. If you see a recent claim (within the last few hours during the sprint), choose a different issue to avoid duplicate work.

  3. Comment to claim it:
    Post a comment like:

    Hi, I want to sprint on this today!

Or:

I'm working on this during the PyCon Davao sprint!

  1. Ask questions if needed:
    If anything is unclear, ask in the issue comments or hop into Discord for clarification.

  2. Get a sprint lead's attention:
    After posting your comment, call over a sprint lead (look for the bright blue Air t-shirts) so they can acknowledge your claim and answer any questions.

Why comment first? Commenting helps coordinate efforts and prevents multiple people from working on the same issue. It's a courtesy that makes everyone's sprint experience better!

💻 Working on Your Fix

Once you've claimed an issue:

  1. Follow the contributing guidelines for setup instructions
  2. Create a branch for your changes
  3. Write tests if applicable
  4. Make your improvements
  5. Test your changes locally

Need help? Ask in the Air Discord server! Mentors and other sprinters are there to support you.

🚀 Submitting Your Work

When you're ready:

  1. Open a Pull Request (PR) that references the issue (e.g., "Fixes #123")
  2. Describe what you changed and why
  3. Request peer reviews — ask at least 1 peer, preferably 2–3, so other sprinters get practice with review. A peer can be any sprinter on-site (any experience level) or someone in the #pycon-davao Discord channel.
  4. Call over a sprint lead (look for the bright blue Air t-shirts) after you've received at least one peer review (or addressed feedback) so they can do a final check during the sprint
  5. Request a review from a maintainer (your sprint lead can help with this)
  6. Be responsive to feedback—code review is a collaborative learning process!
How to request reviews in GitHub
  • Open your PR page on GitHub.
  • On the right sidebar, find "Reviewers".
  • Click the reviewer search box and start typing a teammate's GitHub username, then click to add. Repeat to add 2–3 peers.
  • Also share your PR link in the Discord channel #pycon-davao asking for peer reviewers.
  • If you can't add reviewers due to permissions, just post the PR link in Discord and tag peers or a sprint lead.
Peer review tips (fast and friendly)
  • Timebox to 5–10 minutes; it's okay if it's a quick review.
  • Try it out: run what's described in the PR (or skim tests) to see if it works.
  • Clarity: are names, docs, and comments understandable?
  • Safety: no obvious breakage, tests still pass locally if relevant, and basic edge cases are considered.
  • Scope: changes are small and focused; bigger refactors can be a follow-up.
  • Feedback style: be kind and specific; suggest improvements and ask questions rather than demanding changes.

🎊 Celebrate Your Contribution!

Share your wins! When you submit your PR:

  • Post in the #pycon-davao channel on the Air Discord server to inspire others and celebrate together
  • Mention what you learned or what you found interesting
  • Help cheer on fellow contributors

Every contribution matters, whether it's your first PR or your hundredth. Thank you for making Air better! 🙌