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OSUM members will gain benefits that can help them prepare for an IT career by getting access to the latest open-source technologies including free media kits and student-developer resources.

Training:

* Hands-on training through student projects and games
* Online training through the Sun Academic Initiative program
* Preparation for and discounts on Sun certification3
* OSUM activities that encourage team building

In addition, OSUM members can reap the following social benefits:

* Global social interaction and camaraderie with other student developers
* Opportunities to collaborate with each other on projects and activities in a fun and engaging way
* Development of interpersonal skills
* A better attitude about learning
* A sense of accomplishment, with a growing sense of competency and self-esteem
* Opportunities to get challenged, get motivated, and get excited

OSUM Elements:

The OSUM has two elements that create the organization: Physical and Virtual.

Physical: The OSUM energizes students to participate on campus in Sun’s communities through tech demos, projects, and activities based on open-source technologies and communities that Sun supports.

* Monthly meetings
* Typical activities
* Student projects
* Games
* Guest speakers
* Installfests
* Open-source events
* Face-to-face interaction with campus OSUM members

Virtual: OSUMs enables student developers to connect to each other and to Sun through a virtual social network. New OSUMs and existing student-developer groups that affiliate with the Sun OSUM program will receive free access to the OSUM web site. Benefits of this web site include the following:

* A feature-rich social networking site that can host the web site for each individual OSUM and connect it to OSUMs and their members around the world
* Everyday interaction with a global community of student developers

Students will be able to do the following:

* Write blogs
* Post comments
* Use an instant-messaging application
* Upload photos and videos
* Post profiles of themselves
* Communicate in forums

The OSUM web site allows students to participate and create the online communities. Students can create their own subgroups by technology, language, and other special interests.

http://osum.sun.com