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The contributor mentorship program aims to provide a foundation for new and aspiring contributors to succeed in (and with) the project by helping them build necessary tools and skill set through cohort-based and 1:1 mentorship. The program is intended as a pathway to help new contributors find their way into WordPress contribution. It aims to set new contributors up for success by providing them the necessary guidance around the project, skills and knowledge around the project and contribution, and help them make their first contribution to the project.
In its ideal form, the program will:
Inspire participants to contribute to WordPress
Help participants to successfully navigate the WordPress project
Provide necessary guidance for participants to help them succeed with their contributions.
Help and inspire its participants to make ongoing contributions to the project
Make initial contributions to the latest WordPress Release (version 6.7 for Cohort 3), and gain a deeper understanding for the release process.
Help participants find success in their careers thanks to the learnings from the mentorship program.
The program has successfully concluded two cohorts (2023 Q3 and 2024 Q1), and we are currently on the third cohort of the program. Cohort #3 is planned to be held for six weeks from October 7 to November 15, 2024.
All WordPress Contributors – new and experienced, are welcome to join the program! We have several contribution opportunities for:
New contributors who start their contributor journey with enthusiasm and are driven to contribute.
Contributors who have been participating in WordPress contributions over the years, but are looking for mentorship and long term contributions.
Aspiring WordPress project leaders
Contributors looking for broad guidance in navigating the project
Contributors who had taken part in other mentorship programs.
Contributors who are sponsored through Five for the Future
EVERYONE!
How are mentees selected?
There is a currently published call for mentees closing on August 26th (as well as an early call for mentees for the 2024 Q3 cohort), new contributors can apply there.
WordPress Contributor Working Group members will select a final group of mentees from the applicant pool, based on the following criteria:
Participant Profile and Skillset
Pariticipant Interest and Motivation
Participant Goals and Availability
Past contribution experience (for certain projects)
Team availability and matching
Adherence to WordPress Community Guidelines and Ettiquette
MentorEvent SupporterEvent Supporter (formerly Mentor) is someone who has already organised a WordCamp and has time to meet with their assigned mentee every 2 weeks, they talk over where they should be in their timeline, help them to identify their issues, and also identify solutions for their issues. Availability and Matching
Our goal is to build a diverse, global cohort of mentees, with folks representing as many social characterestics (region, gender, age, sexual oriententation, language, race, caste, among others)
We are aiming for a big cohort this time (over 50 participants) limited only by mentor availability
What is the time commitment required for this program?
Maximum of 2-4 hours per week, across six weeks (from October 7 to November 15, 2024).
For Cohort 3, we are also planning an experimental early mentorship opportunity for a small group of interested mentees who are available to start contributing early to the WordPress 6.7, with an opportunity to occupy future leadership roles in the WordPress project. These contributors will be opted into a longer 10-11 week program, starting in early September.
MentorsEvent SupporterEvent Supporter (formerly Mentor) is someone who has already organised a WordCamp and has time to meet with their assigned mentee every 2 weeks, they talk over where they should be in their timeline, help them to identify their issues, and also identify solutions for their issues. are typically experienced contributors who have been working on the project for a while and are leaders in the project with their contributions.
Mentors will also be expected to maintain high standards of commitment to the program, and have the capacity to support mentees throughout the program.
Each mentor will have 1-3 mentees, and some mentors will be leading dedicated projects that have 4 or more contributors.
How are Mentors selected?
There is a currently published call for mentors closing on August 26th (as well as an early call for mentors for the 2024 Q3 cohort), aspiring mentors can apply there.
Contributor working group members will select mentors from the applications based on the following crieteria:
Profile and Skillset
Interest and Motivation
Availability
Past contribution experience
Past mentorship experience
Team availability and matching
Mentee availabibility and matching
What is the time commitment required for this program for mentors?
Maximum of 3-5 hours per week, across six weeks (from October 7 to November 15, 2024). This includes dedicated time for ad-hoc check-ins with mentees, which can also happen asynchronously. A few early mentors (with more availability) will be mentoring a small group of contributors on an early basis.
Before the mentorship kicks off, mentors will receive detailed training and guidance on how to proceed with mentorship. There will also be a playbook (of sorts) which is aimed at providing mentors with all the support they need.
Calls for mentees (participants) go out and from the pool of applicants, a group of mentees (roughly 50-60 for Cohort #3) are selected (a mix of new and experienced contributors). Mentors are also selected in a similar process and matches with mentees, based on a host of characteristics, such as region, timezones, skillset, availability, team contributions, etc.
Selected mentees and mentors answer a pre-event survey. Mentors will receive specific guidance, training, and support on how to go ahead with the program. We expect to have around 30-40 mentors for Cohort #3 (with at least two mentees per mentor).
A cohort of mentees (not more than 50-60) and mentors (around 30-40) are to be brought together in a dedicated space (a SlackSlackSlack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/. channel in Make/WordPress). Each mentee will be assigned a mentor from the cohort. Some mentors will be running bigger projects which will have 4 or mentees assigned. Such projects may have an additional mentor assigned.
The cohort kicks off with welcome calls facilitated by the mentors – there will be at least two calls to cater to different timezones (APAC, EMEA, and AMER).
In the call:
Mentees will be given an overview of the program
Detailed instructions will be shared on how the program is designed.
Mentees will also get an overview of the WordPress project and how things work.
After the initial welcome, Mentors reach out to mentees and schedule their initial chat (to happen in the first week). Mentors will be provided a script to guide their mentorship conversations:
The chat can be over text, audio, or video depending on the comfort level of mentees.
Mentors and mentees will start by getting to know each other.
Mentors will understand the motivations, strengths, and pain points of mentees.
Mentors will answer questions related to the program and WordPress project from mentees, and will motivate them to go ahead.
Mentors and mentees will work together to create a contribution goal towards the end of the program.
In parallel, mentees will start going through the following courses in Learn WordPress in their own pace:
Mentees will need to complete these courses by the end of Week 1.
Each mentee has a personal tool to track their progress (like a trelloTrelloProject management system using the concepts of boards and cards to organize tasks in a sane way. This is what the make.wordpress.com/marketing team uses for example: https://trello.com/b/8UGHVBu8/wp-marketing. board or a personal P2P2P2 or O2 is the term people use to refer to the Make WordPress blog. It can be found at https://make.wordpress.org/.-style blog).
Each week on Monday, Mentees will be prompted to share their updates in the shared Slack channel. Mentees are also encouraged to interact with other mentees in Slack.
Throughout the course of mentorship, there will be a few synchronous video learning sessions. These sessions will be open to all, and will be held as Online Workshops on Learn WordPress; the focus of these sessions will be on practical applications of the content they learned in Learn WordPress. Topics include:
Contributor Guidance and Wayfinding (communication, leadership, conflict resolution)
Onboarding to various WordPress Teams
Training on the WordPress Release Process
Dedicated WordPress Learn-up sessions on various tools
AMAs with Team Reps of different Make/Teams
Mentees may not be able to attend all the sessions, but they are expected to attend at least two synchronously. All these sessions will be recorded.
By Week 2, mentees will start contributing to their chosen WordPress contribution team, with assistance from their mentors. Mentees working on projects will start working on their projects too. Their goal until the end of the mentorship program (by the end of Week 6) will be to work on their assigned contribution tasks by the end of the program.
Throughout the program, in addition to working on their chosen projects, mentors will also have additional (optional) contribution opportunities such as Photo Contributions, WordPress Translations, Testing, etc, based on their availability and bandwidth.
Towards the end of six weeks, the mentorship program concludes. By now, mentees have:
A good idea about the WordPress project.
Mentees have found a mentor in the project, and have developed strong relationships with folks in their cohort.
Know how contribution in WordPress works.
Are aware of the WordPress values.
Inspired to contribute.
Know the tools and skills required to contribute and to succeed as a contributor.
Identified the teams they want to contribute to.
Make their first contributions towards their chosen teams.
[Optionally] work on projects
Towards the end of the contribution program, mentees optionally work with their mentors to create a three-month contribution and learning plan with their chosen mentor. Once the program concludes, mentees start working on their plan.
The mentorship concludes with a graduation call, which celebrates their wins and learnings. Mentors share their journey. They receive:
A customized poster that can be shared in social media
A note in their profile that they have completed their mentorship
A Make/Blog post announcing their graduations
Mentees and mentors take a post-event survey after the mentorship program concludes.
After they graduate, Mentees will continue working with the Make/Team(s) of their choice, and will be connected to multiple team members from their chosen team for ongoing guidance as they continue their contributor journey.
Depending on the level of comfort, they continue interacting with their mentor cohort and their mentors who provide them ongoing support.
Mentees will be assessed based on their ongoing contributions in regular intervals (one month, three months, six months, one year), and will also answer a survey after three months to see how they are doing.
The program will be considered extremely successful if:
At least 80% of the participants of the initial cohort graduate from the program (they complete the course, required lessons, get the badge, make their initial contributions, and create their three-month plan)
At least 50% of the participants make ongoing contributions to WordPress after completing the mentorship program
Other areas to measure impact:
Improved confidence after the mentorship program (measured through surveys)
Improved knowledge after the mentorship program (measured through surveys)
Feeling of belonging and commitment to WordPress (measured through surveys)
Program facilitators or showrunners: 4-6 members of the contributor working group who facilitate the program throughout.
Instructors (can be members of the working group or members or separate): Folks who facilitate learn.wordpress.orgWordPress.orgThe community site where WordPress code is created and shared by the users. This is where you can download the source code for WordPress core, plugins and themes as well as the central location for community conversations and organization. https://wordpress.org/ online workshops for the working group.