---
title: "How to bring GitLab to a classroom near you"
author: Christina Hupy 
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description: "Learn more about the education program at GitLab!"
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<i class="fab fa-gitlab" style="color:rgb(107,79,187); font-size:.85em" aria-hidden="true"></i>&nbsp;&nbsp;
This blog post is [Unfiltered](/handbook/marketing/blog/unfiltered/#legal-disclaimer)
&nbsp;&nbsp;<i class="fab fa-gitlab" style="color:rgb(107,79,187); font-size:.85em" aria-hidden="true"></i>
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Just over 2 years ago, we launched the education program at GitLab. Through this program, we provide students and faculty around the world, free, top-tier access to GitLab. Our continued goal is to enable the next generation of developers and DevOps professionals to learn GitLab while in school so they can become future contributors and evangelists. 

In the spirit of iteration, the education program was started with little more than an online form and a backend process for issuing licenses. By its own merits, the program has grown to over *737 enrolled educational institutions*, from *67 countries*, and *nearly 1.5 million users*! I’m thrilled to announce that in 2020 we’ll be building on this organic momentum and taking the education program to the next level. This investment includes a new program manager ([me!](/company/team/#c_hupy)) and restructuring the program to better align our offerings with the way educational institutions teach, learn, and conduct research with GitLab. 

A little bit about me... Prior to joining GitLab in late 2019, I spent over a decade as a professor in the field of geospatial technology. I’m eager to bring the knowledge and experience I gained while serving in higher education to this new challenge. I also spent some time in the industry at an open-source tech startup where I developed a deep passion for bringing open-source technology into the classroom.  GitLab is a natural landing place for me to build on and expand on these passions. 

We’ve got some exciting things on the horizon so please stay tuned for more details. We’d love to hear your input on how we restructure the education program so please **contribute** by commenting on our [Epic](https://gitlab.com/groups/gitlab-com/marketing/community-relations/-/epics/3). We’ll also be sending out a survey soon to measure how students and faculty are using GitLab in their teaching and research and to gather ideas on how we can better engage with our participants. 

In the meantime, *are you using GitLab for teaching, learning, or research and have an interesting story you’d like to share?* Please reach out to us at education@gitlab.com. We'd love to share your story and inspire others. 

Don’t have GitLab? Don’t worry, you can sign up for the [education program on our website](/solutions/education/). Have questions about our program, check out our [FAQs](/solutions/education/#FAQ).