Web Surfing Studios

About Web Surfing Studios

Web Surfing Studios is a volunteer-run software development community where aspiring developers learn by building and operating real software alongside experienced engineers.

We offer a structured program designed to help developers build both technical skills and an understanding of how modern software teams actually work. Participants gain experience across the software development lifecycle, including application development, Git and pull requests, code review, testing, CI/CD, cloud infrastructure, deployments, monitoring, and maintaining real deployed applications.

A major part of the program is building community software. Our teams work on projects such as volunteer management platforms, AI-assisted task management systems, learning tools, developer platforms, monitoring systems, and other applications used within the WSS community and by the broader public.

These are real, deployed systems built with the same engineering practices you would expect on a professional software team. Our projects are non-commercial: we don’t build software for clients or sell the products our teams create. We build systems that are useful to our community and the broader public while giving participants the opportunity to solve meaningful technical problems from development through production.

Our goal is for participants to leave the program with a well-rounded technical foundation, stronger portfolios, and tangible examples of work they can discuss with future employers.

Web Surfing Studios has been running for more than five years, and many former participants have gone on to careers in software engineering and other technical roles.

As participants progress, they take on increasingly complex work across application development, architecture, infrastructure, deployment, and production support—giving them experience that goes well beyond completing isolated coding exercises.

Why Join?

WSS gives participants an opportunity to:

• Build practical software engineering skills
• Work on real deployed applications and infrastructure
• Develop a stronger technical portfolio
• Learn modern development processes and tooling
• Receive ongoing mentorship from experienced engineers
• Work alongside and network with other developers
• Gain experience collaborating as part of a software team

The program is remote-first and entirely online, with most work completed flexibly and asynchronously around your existing schedule. We also hold short team meetings in the evenings for participants who are available, providing opportunities to collaborate, ask questions, and stay connected without requiring a traditional fixed schedule.

Our Program

For more details about how the program works, visit:

https://websurfingstudios.com/Program

Questions can be directed to the contact information available on our website.

Requirements

• Basic understanding of programming and software development concepts
• Familiarity with object-oriented programming and fundamental data structures
• Demonstrated commitment to learning and building independently
• Willingness to collaborate, ask questions, and continue developing your skills
• Ability to consistently dedicate approximately 5–10 hours per week for several months