Community Team October Meeting Recap

Attendance: @nilovelez, @zinanga, @BobDunn-trainer, @patricia70, @matteoenna, @brandondove, @_dorsvenabili

Notes:

This recap is a summary of the Community Team monthly meeting. It will cover the discussion points, ideas, and decisions that came up during the meeting. The aim of this recap is to provide a quick overview for those who were unable to attend as well as an overview for everyone. These meetings were based on the Agenda for October and are held in our #community-team SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/. channel on Make WordPress.

You can find the meeting chat log here:

Chat Summary

Here are some discussion points from the meeting.

Highlights to Note

Here are a few things everyone should be aware of.

Open Posts

Check out these new and ongoing discussions needing review, feedback, thoughts and comments.

The GatherPress project has made significant advancements since its initial proposal and continues to evolve through active collaboration. Regular updates are being shared with the community. Current meetupMeetup Meetup groups are locally-organized groups that get together for face-to-face events on a regular basis (commonly once a month). Learn more about Meetups in our Meetup Organizer Handbook. organizers are testing the project and providing feedback, expected by the end of the week. The team is in discussions with Ryelle from the MetaMeta Meta is a term that refers to the inside workings of a group. For us, this is the team that works on internal WordPress sites like WordCamp Central and Make WordPress. team and hopes to start the integration into WordPress.orgWordPress.org The 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/ soon. Additionally, @zinanga is excited to begin experimenting with a new group, allowing for real feedback to improve the project.

Announcements / Newsletters

Open Floor

The Contributor Mentorship program will begin on Monday, and participation is open to everyone in the community. Activities in the program are public, and members are encouraged to follow along, comment, participate, and even join calls in the #mentorship-cohort-oct-2024 channel. The program is not restricted to just mentorsEvent Supporter Event 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. and mentees. Additionally, @patriciabt is leading a project to bring new contributors to BuddyPress and bbPressbbPress Free, open source software built on top of WordPress for easily creating forums on sites. https://bbpress.org., aiming to keep both projects active and thriving. @zinanga has expressed interest in participating and sharing their experiences.

There was a question about the new marketing expense guidelines for WordPress events. @brandondove suggested creating examples of acceptable marketing activities for organizers to use as a reference. @zinanga shared a link to the proposed changes and mentioned that some ideas were already recommended. @Rocío Valdivia added that @Fernando Lopez and @Paula Carmona are working on a draft with ideas on how to use the marketing funds, initially in Spanish. Rocío invited Brandon to coordinate with them to create an English version and share it on the Make Community blog for further feedback.

Next Meeting

Community Team Meetings are held the first Thursday of every month. There are two meetings to support different time zones. The meetings will take place on #community-team on Slack.

Call for Meeting Facilitators

The Community Team Monthly Meetings happen on the first Thursday of every month. These meetings can be facilitated and run by any member of the community team, and is a great opportunity to engage with the rest of the community and team.

If you are interested in facilitating any of these meetings in the future, please feel free to comment or get in touch with any of the Community Team Reps.


If you wish to add points to discuss, comment on this post or reach out to one of the team reps:@peiraisotta, @Shusei, @leo, or @nukaga

#community-team-meeting, #community-team

Please join the WordPress Community Team as a Supporter of Cohort 2024-25

We are thrilled to announce a new opportunity to join the WordPress Community Team as a Supporter. As part of our ongoing efforts to grow and nurture the WordPress community, we’re onboarding new volunteers to help foster community engagement.

What Does It Mean to Be a Community Supporter?

As a Community Team Supporter, you’ll play a vital role in helping us maintain a thriving, welcoming, and supportive environment. Some of the main tasks you will help the community team with are 

  • Mentoring WordCamps and WordPress Events
  • Vetting MeetupMeetup Meetup groups are locally-organized groups that get together for face-to-face events on a regular basis (commonly once a month). Learn more about Meetups in our Meetup Organizer Handbook., WordCamps/WordPress Events and do_actiondo_action do_action hackathons are community-organised events that are focussed on using WordPress to give deserving charitable organisations their own online presence. Learn more on doaction.org. events applications
  • Managing community support channels

What to Expect:

  • Commitment & Engagement: We ask for a clear commitment to your role, including time and active participation, to ensure our community continues to grow and flourish. This activity will also qualify under the 5ftF pledge program.
  • Clear Roles & Responsibilities: We’ll provide you with well-defined role descriptions so you can contribute effectively from the start. Expect hands-on projects, workshops, and group discussions to deepen your involvement.
  • Interactive Learning: Our onboarding process is designed to be engaging! Through quizzes, scenario-based learning, and group discussions, you’ll develop the skills and confidence needed for your role.
  • Peer Support & Accountability: You’ll be assigned a buddy from your cohort to encourage mutual accountability and foster strong relationships. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to mentorEvent Supporter Event 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. future cohorts.

How to Apply:

Submit your application today! For those who have applied as Community Team Supporters: We have been working to onboard new Community Support members, but some applications have stalled. We apologize for the delay. If you’re reading this announcement and are still interested in joining the team, please reapply.

The application form will remain open till 24th October 2024, and we plan to have group orientation starting in early November 2024.

Recognition

  • Supporters will be able to lead the Community Table at flagship events.
  • Exclusive webinars with WordPress leaders. 
  • Community Badge on WordPress.orgWordPress.org The 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/ Profile.
  • We’ll also recognize achievements through public shoutouts and celebrations at flagship events.

We can’t wait to welcome new members into the team and continue building a strong, supportive community together. 

Join us in shaping the future of WordPress!

Note: Thanks to @vivamundo and @devinmaeztri, who are leading this effort, and @adityakane, @unintended8 and @_dorsvenabili, who are helping out.

#community-team

Project Wrap-Up: WordPress Meetup Chapter Program Review and Results

We’re excited to share the final results of our WordPress MeetupMeetup Meetup groups are locally-organized groups that get together for face-to-face events on a regular basis (commonly once a month). Learn more about Meetups in our Meetup Organizer Handbook. Chapter Program review, following the Meetup Reactivation Project launched between July and September 2024. The Community Team has been working diligently to support and reactivate dormant Meetup groups, and we’re happy to report some positive outcomes.

As of today, the WordPress Meetup network includes 630 active groups across 92 countries, with over 500,000 members globally. Thanks to our collective efforts, 216 dormant MeetupsMeetup Meetup groups are locally-organized groups that get together for face-to-face events on a regular basis (commonly once a month). Learn more about Meetups in our Meetup Organizer Handbook. have started hosting events again, helping to revitalize local WordPress communities.

Key Project Results:

  • Total Inactive Groups in Q2 2024: 372 groups.
  • Reactivated Groups: 216 or 58% of inactive groups.
  • Closed Groups: 156 or 42% of inactive groups were removed from the WordPress Pro Network and their Meetup tracker was updated.
  • New Meetup Applications: 39 applications were received from community members wanting to step up as co-organizers to reactivate the dormant groups.

Impact on Meetup Activity:

Before the reactivation project, only 51% of our Meetup groups were active. Thanks to these efforts, we’ve seen a significant improvement, with 69% of groups now active. This increase demonstrates the positive impact of re-engaging with dormant groups and providing them with the resources and support needed to succeed.

Looking Ahead:

  • We will continue conducting meetup reactivation, which we plan to do twice a year in March and September, ensuring we maintain a thriving and active Meetup network.
  • Collaborating with our Supporters will remain key in reaching out to groups, processing reactivation applications, and maintaining up-to-date records in our Meetup tracker.
  • The closure of several groups in mid-2023 led to a reduction in our Meetup.com subscription fees, saving us $4,704. We anticipate further savings in the upcoming billing period in mid-October.

We’re thrilled to see the impact of this project and remain committed to fostering local WordPress communities through our Meetup Chapter Program. Thank you to everyone involved for their ongoing support and dedication.

Let’s continue building and growing together!

#meetups#meetup-reactivation

References:

  1. Reactivating Inactive Meetup Groups
  2. Update: Meetup Reactivation and Closures
  3. Important Call to Action: Help Us Reactivate Inactive Meetup Groups by Sept 16
  4. Final Reminder: Inactive Meetup Groups Will Be Closed in September 2024

Community Team Meeting Agenda for 3 – October -2024

The Community Team chat takes place the first Thursday of every month in the #community-team channel on SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/.

This meeting is meant for all contributors on the team and everyone who is interested in taking part in some of the things our team does. Feel free to join us, even if you are not currently active in the team!

Asia-Pacific / EMEA friendly meeting: Thursday, [3 October] 2024 at 12:00 PM UTC
Americas friendly meeting: Thursday, [3 October] 2024 at 21:00 PM UTC

You will find a preliminary agenda for the meeting below. 

If you wish to add points to discuss, comment on this post or reach out to one of the team reps: @peiraisotta, @Shusei, @leo, or @nukaga. It does not need to be a blog post yet, the topic can be discussed during the meeting nevertheless. We use the same agenda for both meetings.

Call for meeting host and notetaker
If anyone is available to host this month’s or next month’s Community Team meetings and/or write the recap notes , please reach out to one of the team reps: @peiraisotta, @Shusei, @leo, or @nukaga.

Check-ins: Program and Event Supporters / Contributors

  • What have you been doing and how is it going? 
  • What did you accomplish after the last meeting? 
  • Are there any blockers? 
  • Can other team members help you in some way?

Highlights to Note

Here are a few things everyone should be aware of.

Open Posts

Check out these new and ongoing discussions needing review, feedback, thoughts and comments.

Announcements / Newsletters

Open Floor

This is your chance to discuss things that weren’t on the meeting agenda. 

We invite you to use this opportunity to share anything that you want with the team. If you currently have a topic you’d like to discuss, add it to the comments of this post and we will try to update the agenda accordingly.

Hope to see you on Thursday, either in the Asia-Pacific / EMEA (12:00 UTC) or Americas-friendly version (21:00 UTC) of the meeting!#agenda, #meeting-agenda, #team, #team-chat, #team-meeting

#community-team, #meeting

Community Team September Meeting Recap

Attendance: @nukaga, @_dorsvenabili, @zinanga, @matteoenna, @patricia70, @nilovelez, @harishanker, @ioanahasaquestion. @devinmaeztri, @sumitsingh, @enricosorcinelli, @juliarosia

Notes: This recap is a summary of the Community Team monthly meeting. It will cover the discussion points, ideas, and decisions that came up during the meeting. The aim of this recap is to provide a quick overview for those who were unable to attend as well as an overview for everyone. These meetings were based on the Agenda for September and are held in our #community-team SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/. channel on Make WordPress.
You can find the meeting chat log here:

Please leave your comments if you have any feedback.
Additionally, each agenda item discussed may have its own Make post related to its topic with more information and you can add to the discussion directly to that post.

Chat Summary

  • What is your .org username? (Please always include it, so we don’t miss to mention you in the recap notes)
  • What have you been doing and how is it going?
  • Anything you’ve accomplished since the last meeting?
  • Are there any blockers?
  • Can other team members help you in some way?

@nukaga: I did the following in August – Organizer of WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more. Asia – MentorEvent Supporter Event 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. for WordCamp Kansai – A little vetting.

@_dorsvenabili: I’m back this week from some summer vacations and I’ve been catching up, handling HS tickets, MeetupMeetup Meetup groups are locally-organized groups that get together for face-to-face events on a regular basis (commonly once a month). Learn more about Meetups in our Meetup Organizer Handbook. applications and a bit of maintenance of the Meetup tracker, gave feedback to some drafts (GatherPress, etc.), supporting event organizers, attendeed the Supporters Office HoursOffice Hours Defined times when the Global Community Team are in the #community-events Slack channel. If there is anything you would like to discuss – you do not need to inform them in advance.You are very welcome to drop into any of the Community Team Slack channels at any time. and discussed next steps with inactive Supporters and how to simplify our Events’ applications processes (vetting, group orientations, etc.), had some check-ins with some Supporters, WC Madrid budget review, and more…
We need help vetting applications as the queue is long right now, if any Supporter is interested, please let me know, thanks! I’m mentoring the following events: WordPress Day for Developers Lisboa 2024, WordCamp Youth Hackathon Skopje,WordCamp Sevilla, Spain WordCamp Skopje, North

@zinanga: August was a bit about vacations and also community preparations for fall. Organizing final details for WC Griñón program. Opening new group in Spain Castilla La Mancha now in September. Continue with meetp reactivations And last, but not least, participating in WC Bogotá as attendee and witnessing an amazing reactivation there, not only for the country but also for others who also attended from Costa Rica, Guatemala, México, Nicaragua, Spain. Great leadership, #WCLatam support and lovely contributor dayContributor Day Contributor Days are standalone days, frequently held before or after WordCamps but they can also happen at any time. They are events where people get together to work on various areas of https://make.wordpress.org/ There are many teams that people can participate in, each with a different focus. https://2017.us.wordcamp.org/contributor-day/ https://make.wordpress.org/support/handbook/getting-started/getting-started-at-a-contributor-day/., just amazing 🙂

@matteoenna: He currently launching first do_actiondo_action do_action hackathons are community-organised events that are focussed on using WordPress to give deserving charitable organisations their own online presence. Learn more on doaction.org..

@patricia70: August: mentoring 4 upcoming WC (2 are in 2025). first venue visit for WCEU2025 in Basel with lead organisers + Local team work started lot of things with GatherPress. preparing the Contributor Mentorship Program (esp the BuddyPress/bbPressbbPress Free, open source software built on top of WordPress for easily creating forums on sites. https://bbpress.org. project)
September:WCEUWCEU WordCamp Europe. The European flagship WordCamp event. teams selection started.preparing the Mentorship Program (most of the vetting have been done when I was away in Basel by amazing peeps @nilovelez @jdy68 @estelaris @harishanker etc :thank-you:) published the GatherPress project update. Blocker: I need another sponsor 🙂 (Themeisle sponsors 1/4 of my contribution time).

@harishanker: Working on facilitating the contributor mentorship program as well as a couple of other projects: Project dashboards and Five for the Future. All good, and no blockers! Excited to be here.

@nilovelez: Mentoring/organizing Trabajo remoto: transformando el futuro con WordPress. Mentoring WordPress Valencia Diversity day. Working on the vetting of the mentorship Program. And preparing for a lot of Spanish WordCamps.

@patricia70: @nilovelez Intrigued by the “preparing for a lot of Spanish WordCamps“, depending on money I would love to come back to Spain for a WordCamp! It was so great last year at WCMAD :es:.

@ioanahasaquestion: Activity: so far, just getting familiar with the channel / great work you’ve been doing.

@devinmaeztri: Tasks: WC/WP Events and do_action applications and tracker maintenance, events and supporters mentoring, WordCamp CentralWordCamp Central Website for all WordCamp activities globally. https://central.wordcamp.org includes a list of upcoming and past camp with links to each. inbox triage. Projects: Meetup Reactivation, Supporters Offboarding & Onboarding. Events: WCAsia Organizer, WC Port Harcourt and WC Sydney MentorsEvent Supporter Event 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.. ID community: Polyglots LM & GTEGeneral Translation Editor General Translation Editor – One of the polyglots team leads in a geographic region https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/teams/. Further information at https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/handbook/glossary/#general-translation-editor., Meetup Organizer groups, following up on unapproved videos for WPTV from events in Indonesia with @kharisblank.

@zinanga: @patriciabt Regarding Spanish WordCamps we have until end of the year: 20-22 September WC Pontevedra, 26-27 October WC Granada, 23-24-Nov WC Griñón for ECommerce, 13-14 Dec WC Madrid (pending for final details I heard). So u cnan choose or come to all of them Additionaly in Spanish, there is alsoWC Costa Rica 11-12 October, WC Guatemala city 26 October.

@nilovelez: 28 September Valencia WordPress diversity day, 19 October Denia “Trabajo remoto: transformando el futuro con WordPress” (online), 9-10 November WordCamp Sevilla.

@sumitsingh:  he working for Training and community team to write post/review meeting post.

 @enricosorcinelli: I’m enricosorcinelli on WP org and I’m currently co-organizing Rome Core Days event.

@juliarosia: I’ve been working nonstop on WordCamp US organizing – and it’s now just 1.5 weeks away!

Highlights to Note

Moving forward: new and ongoing discussions needing review, feedback, thoughts and comments. Even commenting +1 or something short to these posts is really valuable and helpful!

 In case you missed them, here are the latest announcements and newsletters. Take your time to read them now, or save it for later. Make sure you catch up whenever you can!

Last but not least, it’s time to open the floor!

Is there anything you’d like to say or talk about? Did we miss something on our agenda today?

@_dorsvenabili I’d like to invite all Event and Program Supporters to help us with vetting Meetup applications, there is a long list right now and we need all the help as possible :pray::skin-tone-2:
https://github.com/orgs/WordPress/projects/176

@enricosorcinelli Feel free to add your feedback on the little ideas I proposed for the Five of the Future

@patricia70 is there any advancement or ideas about using a CRM (I’m not sure if I already mentioned during last month meeting) for the Community team, WordCamp organization? @Steve recommended one, that would allow easy follow up for everything related to emailing, and I believe was ready to help for implementation?

Call for volunteers

The Community Team Monthly Meetings happen on the first Thursday’s of every month. These meetings can be facilitated and run by any member of the community team, and is a great opportunity to engage with the rest of the community and team.

If you are interested in facilitating any of these meetings in the future, please feel free to comment or get in touch with any of the Community Team Reps.

If you wish to add points to discuss, comment on this post or reach out to one of the team reps:@lio@st810amaze@leogopal, or @nukaga.

#community-team, #meeting

Important Update: New Marketing/Advertising Guidelines for WordCamp and WordPress Events

Hello Event Organizers and Community members!

I am excited to announce that the marketing and advertising guidelines have been updated in the WordCamp/WordPress Events handbook! If you are organizing a WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more., KidsCamp/YouthCamp, or any other innovative WordPress event, you now have the opportunity to allocate a portion of your budget for marketing and advertising.

The goal is to help event organizers reach wider audiences, especially first-time attendees while ensuring efficient use of resources. For full details on how to use these funds, including important information about the WordPress/WordCamp trademark, please review the newly added Advertising/Marketing Expense Guidelines.

Please note that the final amount for marketing and advertising will be approved by a Program ManagerProgram Manager Program Managers (formerly Super Deputies) are Program Supporters who can perform extra tasks on WordCamp.org like creating new sites and publishing WordCamps to the schedule. during your budget review. If your event is upcoming but your budget review has already taken place, you can still request to add marketing/advertising expenses. Simply send an email to support@wordcamp.org with your proposed amount for consideration and a Program Manager will follow up with you via email.

Thank you, and please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need further assistance!

Note: Thank you to everyone who participated in the public discussion and made it possible for this change to happen!

#ads, #advertising, #marketing, #new-guideline

Announcement: Sunsetting North American Camera Kit Rental Program

Historically, our Camera Kit program has been essential to recording videos for WordPress.tv at minimal cost. Eight camera kits have been allocated in North America and eight in Europe.

Usage Statistics

The community’s interest in camera kits reflects their usage over the years. We can identify how frequently these kits have been utilized by examining the request data. As our in-person events resumed in 2022, we analyzed the requests from 2022 to the present.

North America

From 2022 to 2024, the request data shows limited utilization of the camera kits:

  • 2022: 1 request
  • 2023: 2 requests
  • 2024: 0 request

This represents a low number of requests, indicating a limited interest from the community.

Europe

The European kits, despite being newer and refurbished in late 2022, also reflect a limited number of requests:

  • 2022: 1 request
  • 2023: 5 requests
  • 2024: 1 request

While there was a slight increase in interest in 2023, the overall number of requests remains low, also suggesting a limited interest from the community.

Financial Expenditures

Maintaining, replacing, and shipping camera kits involves considerable expenditure annually. Here’s an overview of the financial details for both regions.

North America

The details regarding the initial purchase, ongoing maintenance, and shipping costs for North American kits are difficult to obtain due to the age and outdated nature of the equipment. However, the following points are worth noting:

  • The current state of the North American kits indicates a need for refurbishment if we want to continue the program.
  • Shipping and maintenance records are sparse, making it challenging to quantify the exact financial outlay over the years.

Europe

For European camera kits, more detailed financial records are available:

  • Refurbishment Costs (2022): €11,866
  • Shipping Costs (Nov 2022 — Present): $1,690.87

These figures clarify the ongoing investment required to keep the European kits operational and available for community events.

Current Locations and Management

The camera kits are located and managed to facilitate easy access and deployment:

  • North America:
    • Five camera kits are in America.
    • One kit was transferred to Europe in 2022.
    • Two kits are currently unaccounted for.
  • Europe:
    • All eight camera kits remain within Europe.
    • The exact current locations and the tracking record are managed by our Program ManagerProgram Manager Program Managers (formerly Super Deputies) are Program Supporters who can perform extra tasks on WordCamp.org like creating new sites and publishing WordCamps to the schedule., Timi Wahalahti (@sippis).
    • Additionally, there is one kit that was received from North America, although its exact status, and whether it is the same kit sent in 2022 are unclear.

Analysis and Consideration for the Future

Given the current state of usage and financial investment in these camera kits, it is essential to consider the efficiency and impact of the program:

  • Decreased Demand: The data from 2022 to 2024 highlights a notable decline in requests for camera kits. This trend suggests reduced needs or interests from the community, raising questions about the continued viability of maintaining these kits.
  • Financial Burden: The ongoing costs for maintenance, refurbishment, and shipping are substantial, especially when weighed against the limited usage observed recently.
  • Outdated Equipment: Particularly in North America, the kits are outdated and likely in need of replacement or significant upgrades to meet current standards and expectations.
  • Storage Resources: Especially in North America, we are facing challenges in finding storage that can be easily accessed by event organizers.

Conclusion

The camera kits in North America and Europe have historically played a vital role in the WordPress event ecosystem. However, the declining usage and significant financial outlays necessitate reevaluating the program. The lack of efficiency and diminishing impact indicate that it may be time to consider closing the camera kit program or exploring alternative solutions to meet the community’s needs in a more cost-effective and impactful manner.

Moving forward, we announce the end of the North American Camera Kit program, we will update the relevant documentation, and continue the EU Camera Kit program and involve more contributors to manage the program. 

Thank you, @_dorsvenabili and @naokomc, for contributing to this post.

#camera-kits, #community-team

Contributor Working Group/Mentorship Chat Agenda | August 15th 07:00 UTC (APAC/EMEA) and 16:00 UTC (AMER)

Hello friends! It is time to host the next Monthly chat of the WordPress Contributor Working Group. We’re meeting this August (tomorrow – August 15th) to continue our work on improving the contribution experience of WordPress and to continue our work on mentorship programs. For more information on the working group and its plans, check out our launch post and past chats.

Meeting times

We will hold these chats in multiple time zones to accommodate as many participants all over the world as possible. These chats will continue to be held on the Third Thursday of every month.

The chat will be held on the #community-team channel of the Make/WordPress Slack. Here’s the link to a handy `.ics` file containing calendar entries for our upcoming chat so you won’t miss it. These chats have also been added to the Make/Meetings calendar. Everyone interested in improving the contributor experience in WordPress and building future mentorship programs is welcome to attend!

Pinging some of our active working group members:

@adityakane, @aion11, @alexcu21, @alexdeborba, @askdesign, @casiepa, @chaion07, @coachbirgit, @colorful-tones, @courane01, @devmuhib, @estelaris, @foosantos, @gusa, @hellosatya, @javiercasares, @josepmoran, @juliarosia, @kafleg, @kirasong, @leonnugraha, @lighthouse79, @lumiblog, @matteoenna, @meher, @milana_cap, @mrinal013, @nao, @nhrrob, @nilovelez, @oglekler, @onealtr, @onemaggie, @patricia70, @pooja1210, @ratneshsonar, @rcreators, @realloc, @rogermedia, @sancastiza, @st810amaze, @sumitsingh, @tekNorah, @thehopemonger, @tobifjellner, @topher1kenobe, @unintended8, @voboghure, @webtechpooja, @yoga1103

Agenda

1. Welcome, introductions, and check-ins
How is everyone doing? New members joining the group can also introduce themselves.

2. Mentorship Program Updates
We’ll be discussing our formal call for mentees, and steps towards finalizing the next cohort.

3. Mentorship Program Cohort #3 (Q4 2024) Implementation Steps
With our cohort formally starting in less than two months, let’s start working on setting things up! Since this is a big topic, let’s use most of our time towards this.

4. Working Closely with the Sustainability Team
Social Sustainability is a big part of what the Sustainability team does, which aligns with our group’s work. In fact, many of our group members actively participate in the Sustainability team too. Let’s discuss further on how we can work closely with that team going forward.

5. Questions, thoughts, and open floor!
If we still have time after all that intense discussion, we’ll open up the floor to discuss mentorship broadly and our program!

Looking forward to seeing many of you in the chat!

#contributor-working-group #mentorship-program #wpcontributors #mentorship-chat #agenda

Community Team Meeting Agenda for 1 – August 2024

The Community Team chat takes place the first Thursday of every month in the #community-team channel on SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/.

This meeting is meant for all contributors on the team and everyone who is interested in taking part in some of the things our team does. Feel free to join us, even if you are not currently active in the team!

Asia-Pacific / EMEA friendly meeting: Thursday, 1 August 2024 at 12:00 PM UTC
Americas friendly meeting: Thursday, 1 August 2024 at 21:00 PM UTC

You will find a preliminary agenda for the meeting below. 

If you wish to add points to discuss, comment on this post or reach out to one of the team reps: @peiraisotta, @Shusei, @leo, or @nukaga. It does not need to be a blog post yet, the topic can be discussed during the meeting nevertheless. We use the same agenda for both meetings.

Call for meeting host and notetaker
If anyone is available to host this month’s or next month’s Community Team meetings and/or write the recap notes , please reach out to one of the team reps: @peiraisotta, @Shusei, @leo, or @nukaga.

Check-ins: Program and Event Supporters / Contributors

  • Please share your WP.org username (to easily include you in the recap post)
  • What have you been doing and how is it going? 
  • What did you accomplish after the last meeting? 
  • Are there any blockers? 
  • Can other team members help you in some way?

Highlights to Note

Here are a few things everyone should be aware of.

Open Posts

Check out these new and ongoing discussions needing review, feedback, thoughts and comments.

Announcements / Newsletters

Open Floor

This is your chance to discuss things that weren’t on the meeting agenda. 

We invite you to use this opportunity to share anything that you want with the team. If you currently have a topic you’d like to discuss, add it to the comments of this post and we will try to update the agenda accordingly.

Hope to see you on Thursday, either in the Asia-Pacific / EMEA (12:00 UTC) or Americas-friendly version (21:00 UTC) of the meeting!

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Recap of the Contributor Working Group’s Mentorship Chat on July 18th, 2024

Agenda: https://make.wordpress.org/community/2024/07/16/contributor-working-group-chat-agenda-july-18th-0700-utc-apac-emea-and-1600-utc-amer/

Meeting links (SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/.): APAC/EMEA

Host and Notes: @harishanker

In Attendance:
@harishanker (host) + @coachbirgit @eboxnet @gusaus @javiercasares @josepmoran @kirasong @lighthouse79 @matteoenna @meher @nao @ninanepress @oglekler @oneal @patricia70 @rcreators @rfluethi @rogermedia @tobifjellner

Note: On getting feedback from the community that the AMER timing of our chat was a bit off, we did an experiment where AMER folks could join the chat asynchronously, but it did not work out as planned, unfortunately. We will be resuming regular EMEA and AMER chats going forward from next week.

Notes

Program Updates

Call for Mentees Closes

The early call for mentees for the Q4 2024 WordPress Contributor Mentorship Program concluded on July 15, 2024. The program received 54 mentee applications from 35 cities and 20 countries, along with 30 mentorEvent Supporter Event 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. applications from 10 countries and 19 cities. Significant interest was noted in the CoreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. Team and Plugins team, with 17 and 21 mentee applications respectively. Full application details were shared with the working group for evaluation.

In our chat, we took a detailed look at the applications. There was clearly a higher interest in the Community, Polyglots, and Photos teams from mentorsEvent Supporter Event 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. compared to mentees. We also discussed the higher number of mentee applicants for the Plugins team, questioning whether applicants were more interested in creating plugins rather than contributing to the Plugins team’s work. A suggestion was made to separate the Core Team into distinct options: Core, Core Test, and Editor (GutenbergGutenberg The Gutenberg project is the new Editor Interface for WordPress. The editor improves the process and experience of creating new content, making writing rich content much simpler. It uses ‘blocks’ to add richness rather than shortcodes, custom HTML etc. https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/).

Five for the Future Handbook Update

A new section was added to the Five for the Future handbook, offering guidance on how contributors can pitch Five for the Future to their employers. This update, contributed by @matteoenna, was inspired by his own experience of securing sponsorship from his company while being a mentee in the program: https://wordpress.org/five-for-the-future/handbook/organization-pledge-guide/pitch-five-for-the-future-to-your-employer/

Mentorship Program Planning

Based on discussions from the past chats, we put together an initial plan for the first cohort, including documentation.  The goal of creating this document at an early stage is to create a clear, cohesive, and transparent plan for our initial cohort of the mentorship program helping us to create a more structured and systematic mentoring experience. Here’s a draft of the plan that was shared: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uatuObmi0iZyAC_bBSiGvAMoXV7UFZosPJyqRCySi38/edit

A draft project plan for the next cohort was shared, outlining phases from planning and cohort selection to The plan includes structured onboarding and training sessions, with a goal of establishing a replicable mentorship program format. The plan is based on the current WordPress 6.7 release plan.

Program Duration and Phases

  • Phase 1: Planning (June-July 2024)
    • Close Early Mentee Applications by July 15
    • Create a detailed project plan and white paper
    • Develop mentor and mentee documentation and guidelines
    • Define cohort selection criteria
    • Finalize facilitators and create vetting groups for mentors/mentees
    • Outreach for the mentorship program
  • Phase 2: Cohort Selection & Program Building (August–September 2024)
    • Open call for mentors/mentees
    • Finalize mentor/mentee selection and inform them
    • Provide pre-event orientations and training
    • Create the mentorship Slack channel
  • Phase 3: Mentorship Program (October 7 – November 15 2024)
    • Week 1: Welcome and introductions
    • Week 2: Onboarding and release process familiarization
    • Weeks 3-5: Project focus and progress
    • Week 6: Release week and project wrap-up
  • Phase 4: Graduation & Retrospective (November 2024)
    • Graduation call and post-event survey
    • Analyze survey results and share retrospective

Program Goals

  • Establish a replicable mentorship program format
  • Document all aspects of the mentorship program
  • Achieve impactful contributions to WordPress
  • Ensure at least 25% of mentees contribute to big picture goals-related projects

Major Changes from Previous Cohorts

  • Use GitHubGitHub GitHub is a website that offers online implementation of git repositories that can easily be shared, copied and modified by other developers. Public repositories are free to host, private repositories require a paid subscription. GitHub introduced the concept of the ‘pull request’ where code changes done in branches by contributors can be reviewed and discussed before being merged be the repository owner. https://github.com/ Project for centralized management
  • Pre-scheduled live onboarding and training sessions as much as possible

Discussion

We had a discussion on the Mentorship Program and some excellent feedback was shared highlighting the importance of documentation and outreach to local communities.

Broad Suggestions

The team discussed several key points for improving the mentorship program. They emphasized the importance of documentation and suggested setting a 25% contribution goal. The need for outreach to local communities and the inclusion of local cohorts was highlighted. An introductory session before the final team selection was proposed, along with the flexibility for mentees to switch teams if needed. The conversation also covered the importance of planning for translations and setting an application deadline to accommodate vacations in Europe. The overall focus was on structured introductory sessions, local outreach, and careful planning for the mentorship program’s success.

Program Dates

The team discussed potential dates for the mentorship program, suggesting October 7 – November 15, 2024, to align with the release week and avoid overlapping with WCUSWCUS WordCamp US. The US flagship WordCamp event.. Concerns were raised about this timeline starting too late for optimal contributions to the 6.7 release. An earlier start, like September 30, was proposed for better alignment with the release cycle. Additionally, the idea of bringing a few early applicants as mentees to follow the entire release was considered, which could increase their chances of contributing effectively. The team agreed to finalize the best dates to balance program needs and core involvement.

Opening the Formal Call for Mentees

The team discussed how to combine early and later mentee applications for the mentorship program. One suggestion was to pair mentors and mentees initially, and if any mentees are left without mentors, issue a specific call for the required mentors closer to the start date. The challenge is balancing the early interest sparked by WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more. Europe with the promise of a later call. Another idea proposed was to double-check early applicants’ interest before opening the standard invitation. Additionally, the importance of a longer, more structured program to build strong mentor-mentee bonds was emphasized, highlighting that ongoing support and camaraderie are crucial for effective mentorship.

Mini Cohort Starting Early?

A suggestion was made to pre-select up to five early applicants as mentees to follow the entire 6.7 release, starting with the Alpha phase, allowing them to make more significant contributions. This idea was well-received, especially if the mentees seem ready and mentors are available. Another suggestion was to include these mentees in the mentorship planning and documentation process. It was proposed that a “bridge mentor” could be appointed to explain the various aspects of the release as they happen, helping to navigate the complex release operations and enriching the overall experience for everyone involved.

Discussing Program Next Steps

We took some time to discuss next steps in the mentorship program:

Cohort Selection Criteria

Suggestions included prioritizing motivation, desire to learn, and ensuring mentees do not already have connections within the community. It was agreed that previous criteria used should be maintained, but adding a multilingual aspect would be beneficial to address language barriers. It was also noted that mentees should have some prior contribution experience, and mentors should be well-connected within the community. Emphasizing a safe and supportive environment for non-native English speakers was highlighted as essential for effective mentorship. The goal is to offer a more multilingual and globalized version of the mentorship program to better support diverse contributors.

Cohort Size

Participants debated whether to expand the cohort size to 100 or keep it smaller. It was agreed that the number of mentors available would determine the cohort size. A 1:2 mentor-to-mentee ratio was suggested as ideal, with a potential adjustment to 1:3 if needed. Additionally, the idea of creating a mini French cohort was proposed and received positive feedback, acknowledging the presence of Francophone members in the group. The overall consensus was to scale the cohort size based on mentor availability while ensuring effective mentorship.

Working with Projects

One participant suggested organizing an online Contributor DayContributor Day Contributor Days are standalone days, frequently held before or after WordCamps but they can also happen at any time. They are events where people get together to work on various areas of https://make.wordpress.org/ There are many teams that people can participate in, each with a different focus. https://2017.us.wordcamp.org/contributor-day/ https://make.wordpress.org/support/handbook/getting-started/getting-started-at-a-contributor-day/. for bbPressbbPress Free, open source software built on top of WordPress for easily creating forums on sites. https://bbpress.org., potentially expanding it to include BuddyPress. The idea received support, and plans were made to coordinate and organize the event. Another participant highlighted the involvement of various teams such as Polyglots, plugins, themes, and learning in parallel operations with the release. The tech leads expressed enthusiasm for collaborating with the mentorship program during the 6.7 release, emphasizing the potential for cross-team projects and enhanced coordination.

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