Contributor Working Group: Mentorship Chat Agenda | October 19th 07:00 UTC (APAC/EMEA) and 16:00 UTC (AMER)

It’s time for the next WordPress Contributor Working Group Mentorship chat. We’re meeting this Thursday (October 19th) to continue our work on improving the contribution experience of WordPress. Check out our launch post and past chats for more information on the working group and its plans.

Meeting Times

We will be holding these chats in multiple time zones to make accommodations for as many time zones as possible. These chats will continue to be held on the Third Thursday of every month.

Note: We will only be hosting the APAC/EMEA chat this week, as we don’t have a host for the Americas chat yet. If you can host the chat in the Americas time, let me (@nao) know. The Americas chat was originally planned for 2023-10-19 16:00 UTC (Google Calendar link).

In case a host is not found for the Americas chat, group members in the Americas are encouraged to participate in the EMEA/APAC chat asynchronously.


The chat will be on the #community-team channel in Make/WordPress Slack. Use this .ics file for calendar entries to not miss it. It’s also on the Make/Meetings calendar. Anyone keen on enhancing WordPress contributor experience or developing mentorship programs is welcome!

Pinging some of our active working group members as well as facilitators/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. from our latest mentorship program pilot:

@adityakane, @askdesign, @carl-alberto, @casiepa, @cbringmann, @coachbirgit, @courane01, @desrosj, @foosantos, @@gusa, @harishanker, @javiercasares, @jeffpaul, @jominney, @juliarosia, @kafleg, @leogopal, @leonnugraha, @matteoenna, @mayukojpn, @meher, @milana_cap, @kirasong, @mrfoxtalbot, @mysweetcate, @nao, @ninianepress, @nomadskateboarding, @oglekler, @onealtr, @patricia70, @realloc, @sereedmedia, @st810amaze, @sumitsingh, @sz786, @thehopemonger, @thewebprincess, @topher1kenobe, @tobifjellner, @unintended8, @webtechpooja, @yoga1103

Agenda

Following up on our last chat, we will focus on planning the next iteration of our mentorship program!

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

2. Planning for the Next Mentorship Cohort
In our last chat, there was a consensus that our group should do a cohort along with WordPress 6.5 release (likely in Q1 2024). Let’s discuss the second cohort’s structure, timeline, and milestones in this chat.

Feedback to the draft plan doc (put together based on previous chats) is welcome any time!

3. Call for Volunteers
Are you interested in building the mentorship program? Express your interest in joining the team to build the mentorship program’s next edition.

4. Questions, thoughts, and open floor!
If we still have time after all that excellent discussion, we’ll open up the floor for discussing mentorship broadly and our program!

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

#wpcontributors, #contributor-mentorship, #contributor-working-group, #mentorship-programs, #mentorship-chat, #mentorship-chat-agenda

Recap of the Contributor Working Group’s Mentorship Chat on September 21, 2023

In attendance: @adityakane, @coachbirgit, @gusa, @harishanker, @kafleg, @leogopal, @matteoenna, @mayukojpn, @kirasong, @nao, @ninianepress, @oglekler, @onealtr, @patricia70, @sereedmedia, @tobifjellner, @topher1kenobe, @webtechpooja, @yoga1103

Notes: @nao

Agenda: https://make.wordpress.org/community/2023/09/19/contributor-working-group-mentorship-chat-agenda-september-21st-0700-utc-apac-emea-and-1600-utc-amer/

Meeting Start

APAC/EMEA: https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C037W5S7X/p1695279617297589
AMER: https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C037W5S7X/p1695312003171489

Summary

Based on the conversation, here are some takeaways from the meetings:

  • We should try doing the next cohort alongside 6.5
  • The next cohort size should be bigger
  • We should put out a call for 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. along with mentees
  • We should try to include more Make/Teams in the process
  • We should revisit the process of mentorship, add more documentation, and processes
  • Our project management tool will be our GitHub Project

Pending Tasks from our Past Cohort

These pending tasks were discussed, and additional feedback was provided.

Training Team’s Onboarding Process & Guide Program

@leogopal brought up the Training Team’s Learning Pathway project and suggested that we work on creating different pathways for contributors to meet their interested roles.

@gusa shared @piyopiyofox’s comment in the Refreshing the contributor pipeline discussion, where she said the Training Team onboarding program is highly successful and can be adapted to other Make Teams, process-wise.

Planning the Next Mentorship Cohort

Timing

Many shared their preference for the next cohort tining to be after some break, possibly alongside of 6.5 release. “As soon as possible” was also mentioned.

Cohort Size

@nao @harishanker @adityakane @tobifjellner said the cohort size could be larger next time. No mention in the exact number, except @adityakane said doubling the size (= 26 mentees).

@tobifjellner suggested multiple mentees per 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. could also be possible.

Centralize project management

Everyone agreed that we need a better project management tool, and using the GitHub Project for the working group that @leogopal had set up earlier is a good idea.

@coachbirgit shared that the discussion feature on 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 can be useful for the group, so @nao enabled it: https://github.com/WordPress/wp-contributor-working-group-tracker/discussions

Working alongside a release

@nao @harishanker @coachbirgit @tobifjellner @kirasong @sereedmedia said running the next cohort along the 6.5 release would give enough preparation time for the working group.

@sereedmedia: “I like that the cohort could get exposure to the release process, regardless of what team they are on. it touches all the teams in some way, and the releases are why we are all here at the end of the day.”

@adityakane said intentionally decoupling the timing from release could help new contributors see non-coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. development parts of the project.

@ninianepres: “having a cohort alongside one release it super great and less overwhelming. But also, it’s worth taking a look at when these releases are scheduled just so we don’t feel we’re rushed like the last cohort”

Duration/Timeframe

Some suggestions were brought up about the duration and timeframe: increasing the 4-week period, separating out the general onboarding parts, and spending four weeks on the specific team onboarding.

@sereedmedia made a point about reviewing survey feedback before making a concrete decision.

Things to change for the next cohort

Additional comments:

@kafleg: “Strictly monitoring and reporting the updates, and Mentee rating from Mentor and monitor”

@coachbirgit: “Template for a 90-day plan as follow-up for the mentees after the cohorts end.”

@sereedmedia: “Bug scrub & 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/. as a sprint, developing actionable contribution goals for each team that would be suitable for a “first issue”

@oglekler: “I can make a bug scrub 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. or something”

@ninianepress: “Consider having facilitators initiate the onboarding process, followed by mentors taking over/have different levels where junior & senior mentors or facilitators come in at different times; create checklists and forms for mentors as well this time and not just mentees; more clarity around defining the roles”

@adityakane: “Clearer framework, Github to project manage.”

Open floor/FYI

#wpcontributors, #contributor-mentorship, #contributor-working-group, #mentorship-programs, #mentorship-chat, #mentorship-chat-agenda #mentorship-chat-recap

#mentorship-chat-recap

Contributor Working Group: Mentorship Chat Agenda | September 21st 07:00 UTC (APAC/EMEA) and 16:00 UTC (AMER)

It’s time for the next Mentorship chat of the WordPress Contributor Working Group. We’re meeting this Thursday (September 21st) to continue our work on improving the contribution experience of WordPress. For more information on the working group and its plans, check out our launch post and our past chats.

Meeting times

We will be holding these chats in multiple time zones to make accommodations for as many time zones 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, which contains 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 as well as facilitators/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. from our latest mentorship program pilot:

@adityakane, @askdesign, @carl-alberto, @casiepa, @cbringmann, @coachbirgit, @courane01, @desrosj, @foosantos, @francina, @harishanker, @javiercasares, @jeffpaul, @jominney, @juliarosia, @kafleg, @leogopal, @leonnugraha, @meher, @milana_cap, @kirasong, @mrfoxtalbot, @mysweetcate, @nao, @nomadskateboarding, @onealtr, @oglekler, @patricia70, @patriciabt, @realloc, @sereedmedia, @st810amaze, @sumitsingh, @sz786, @thehopemonger, @thewebprincess, @topher1kenobe, @tobifjellner, @unintended8, @webtechpooja, @yoga1103

Agenda

In the last Mentorship Chat, we evaluated the pilot cohort of the Contributor Mentorship program. 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. US Community Summit had some relevant discussions, and notes were published:

This week, let’s start planning for our second iteration of the mentorship program.

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

2. Pending Tasks from our Past Cohort
We have a few more pending tasks that need to be done from our past cohort: the participant survey and contributor badge. Let’s quickly share where we are and what help is needed.

3. Planning the Next Mentorship Cohort
It’s clear that our past cohort has been a success, and there has been positive feedback on bringing up a new cohort. How do we go about it? Let’s discuss our next steps: timing, cohort size, project management process, focus/teams, or anything else relevant.

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

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

#wpcontributors, #contributor-mentorship, #contributor-working-group, #mentorship-programs, #mentorship-chat, #mentorship-chat-agenda

Contributor Working Group: Mentorship Chat Agenda | April 20th 07:00 UTC (APAC/EMEA) and 16:00 UTC (AMER)

Following a successful kickoff chat, the contributor working group is organizing its next chat on April 20th to continue its work.

Meeting times

To make accommodations for as many timezones as possible, we will be holding these chats in multiple timezones (please note that we are shifting the times a bit to make these meetings friendlier for folks from APAC and AMER)

The chat will be held on the #community-team channel of the Make/WordPress Slack. Here’s the link to a handy `.ics` file which contains calendar entries for our upcoming chat, so that you won’t miss it. These chats have also been added to the Make/Meetings calendar. Everyone who is interested in building a mentorship program is welcome to attend these chats.

Looping in folks that had originally expressed interest in joining the program: @williamsba1, @megabyterose, @wolfpaw, @soulseekah, @courtneypk, @amethystanswers @javiercasares @leogopal @milana_cap @unintended8 @lesleysim @@itsjustdj @evarlese @@prathameshp @javiercasares, and @desrosj.

Also looping in the folks who attended the last chat: @adityakane @nao @oglekler @yoga1103 @leonnugraha @kirasong @st810amaze @onealtr @carl-alberto @tobifjellner @kcristiano @javiercasares @webtechpooja @sz786 @meher @webcommsat @courane01 @jeffpaul @sereedmedia @cbringmann @angelasjin @juliarosia @askdesign @wolfpaw @nomadskateboarding @dpknauss

Agenda

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

2. Discussing a Minimum Viable ProductMinimum Viable Product "A minimum viable product (MVP) is a product with just enough features to satisfy early customers, and to provide feedback for future product development." - WikiPedia (MVPMinimum Viable Product "A minimum viable product (MVP) is a product with just enough features to satisfy early customers, and to provide feedback for future product development." - WikiPedia) of the Proposed Mentorship Program
Last week, we briefly brainstormed on a structure for our projectwide mentorship program. This week, we go the next step to try and build an MVP for the Mentorship Program for our project. The idea is to share all the learnings we picked up last week, and use it to shape an experimental mentorship program to test out our idea so that we can iterate and build our learnings.

3. Next steps and next meeting
Depending on the outcome of the discussion, we will decide on the next steps of our meeting. We will aim to kick off some basic ideas in order to create a draft MVP which we can post in the Make/Community blog. We will also try to identify a regular cadence for our chats (that is friendlier for multiple timezones).

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

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

#mentorship-chat, #mentorship-chat-agenda

Contributor Working Group: Mentorship Kick-off chat Agenda | March 20th 12:00 UTC (EMEA) and 21:00 UTC (AMER)

As announced last week the Contributor Working Group of the Make/Community team is relaunching with an exclusive focus on building a Projectwide Mentorship Program for WordPress. The group will have its initial chat today to formally kick off work on the mentorship program.

Inaugural Meeting times

To make accommodations for as many timezones as possible, we will be holding these chats in multiple timezones:

The chat will be held on the #community-team channel of the Make/WordPress Slack. Here’s the link to a handy `.ics` file which contains calendar entries for our upcoming chat, so that you won’t miss it. These chats have also been added to the Make/Meetings calendar. Everyone who is interested in building a mentorship program is welcome to attend these chats.

Looping in folks that had expressed interest in joining the program: @williamsba1, @webtechpooja, @megabyterose, @tobifjellner, @wolfpaw, @soulseekah, @courtneypk, @kirasong, @tobifjellner, and @amethystanswers @nao @sereedmedia @nomadskateboarding @javiercasares @courane01 @leogopal @milana_cap @unintended8 @mysweetcate @sereedmedia @askdesign @lesleysim @adityakane @itsjustdj @evarlese @leonnugraha @prathameshp @javiercasares @jeffpaul, and @desrosj.

Agenda

1. Welcome and introductions
Who’s in the group? Let’s quickly get to know each other.

2. Clarifying Group Responsibilities
Clarifying what our responsibilities and goals are

3. Brief Introduction to the Mentorship Program
What is the proposed mentorship program? Brief discussion and brainstorming on how to make it successful.

4. Next steps and Identifying Volunteers
What are we going to do next? How will we begin working towards our goals? We also start identifying volunteers for different tasks.

5. Next meeting
When will we meet again? What regular schedule would work well?

Looking forward to seeing you at our chats!

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

#mentorship-chat, #mentorship-chat-agenda