Introducing Mission:Libre, a new project for teens

If a movement is going to thrive, it has to appeal to the young — they'll be the ones to inherit it, after all. Free software is no exception. A bright future for free software depends on young people choosing to build and support it. Teenagers are often courageous activists, and they are at a critical phase in their development to make choices that could lead them to become powerful forces for software freedom! It is so important that there are programs that appeal and communicate the ethics and goal of the free software movement to these developing activists. Projects like the Free Software Foundation Europe’s Youth Hacking 4 Freedom are certainly an important part of outreach to teens, but teens also need long-term programs that can educate them about the free software movement and how to be responsible future stewards.

Mission:Libre is a new project with a goal to fill that gap by giving teenagers around the world their own place in the free software community and helping them grow into tomorrow’s activists and contributors. I launched Mission:Libre because of my experiences with free software when I was younger. 20 years ago, I was a teen learning to program and discovering free software for the first time. I was enchanted by it, but there wasn't an obvious way for someone my age to participate. Now that I'm older, I'm ready to build what I could have used when was a teenager. Mission:Libre, which has been running for just a few months now, already has a large array of projects, all undertaken with the aim of encouraging teenagers to develop a passion for free software.

Mission:Libre is designed to help teens learn skills they'll need as they become tomorrows free software contributors and activists.

Mission:Libre's first goal is to spread the word about free software to teenagers by making appealing, age-appropriate materials explaining the concepts. These materials will be shared with youth organizations and teachers. This November 2025, Mission:Libre will publish lesson plans and classroom handouts on free software suitable for educators teaching Key Stage 3 and 4 in the UK curriculum. By the time you're reading this article, there will be a new website explaining free software to younger teens at https://letstalkfreedom.missionlibre.org/.

For teens that already know a bit about free software, Mission:Libre publishes an online magazine every one to two months. October's issue, focuses on privacy. It has articles explaining surveillance and encryption, and a step-by-step guide to help teens live a more private online life. There are also fun tutorials: the latest issue has thirty days worth of mini lessons in Python!

Mission:Libre will also help bring teens who love free software together with online and offline clubs and community events. I occasionally host live round tables where teens can air their thoughts on the future of free software and how the movement can help them get involved. Next year, there will be even more special events for teens to get together for free software. Further, I'm available to help teenagers one-on-one and in small groups. Among other things, I can help them find educational resources, teach them a little programming, give them advice about living a freer digital life, or just be there to bounce ideas off!

Mission:Libre can do a lot for free software, but I need your help. Mission:Libre needs both financial support and help getting the word out. You can learn how you can help Mission:Libre thrive at https://freethefuture.missionlibre.org/. If you'd like to find out more about Mission:Libre — or if you're a teen and want to sign up! — visit https://missionlibre.org/. I can be contacted at carmen@missionlibre.org, or you can drop into one of Mission:Libre's 'office hours' sessions on Jitsi. More information about those is at https://missionlibre.org/upcoming-events.

"Mission:Libre logo." 2025 by Carmen Maris. This image is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.