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We’re thrilled to announce that the third cohort of the 2024 Q4 WordPress Contributor Mentorship Program has successfully concluded! 🎉
This cohort, which began on October 16, 2024, and wrapped up on November 26, 2024, brought together over 100 mentees and 25 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.. Over six weeks, participants enhanced their contribution skills and made meaningful impact on the WordPress project.
The WordPress Contributor Mentorship Program, led by the Contributor Working Group, is designed to empower new contributors and streamline their WordPress journey. Building on the success of earlier cohorts, the program ensures participants gain hands-on experience in contributing to the WordPress ecosystem, supported by dedicated mentors. The program kicked off on October 7 and concluded after six weeks on November 15.
Here’s how the program unfolded:
Weeks 1–2 (October 7 – October 18): Orientation sessions, 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. introductions, goal-setting, and an overview of WordPress.
Weeks 3–4 (October 21 – November 1): Active contributions to chosen teams and collaboration on key tasks.
Weeks 5–6 (November 4 – November 15): Continued contributions, preparation of 30-60-90 day plans, and graduation.
Throughout the program, mentees contributed to different areas of WordPress, participated in the WordPress 6.7 release process, and deepened their understanding of open-source collaboration while collaborating with a diverse, global group of contributors. For this cohort, we also followed a project-based approach, with groups of mentees being assigned to WordPress 6.7 projects with mentors to guide them. We also had over thirty mentees who did not have an assigned mentor but still worked on the cohort by following group activities.
The WordPress Contributor Working Group is thrilled to announce the launch of the third cohort of the WordPress Contributor Mentorship Program, that has kicked off on Monday, October 7th! This program offers newer WordPress enthusiasts a unique opportunity to engage deeply with the project and make meaningful contributions by pairing them with experienced contributors (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.) for a six-week period.
Who are the Mentees?
This cohort includes over 100 diverse contributors (mentees), each either paired with a 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., involved in a task-focused project under the guidance of multiple mentors, or participating with a broader cohort group. These participants were selected from a pool of 150 applicants worldwide. All applicants should have received an email with the results of their application.
Program Breakdown
This cohort will span over a six-week period:
Weeks 1 and 2 (October 7 – October 18): Kick-off session, initial mentor/mentee check-in, setting contribution goals, and online workshops.
Weeks 3 and 4 (October 21 – November 1): Focus on onboarding mentees to their chosen. Make/WordPress teams, with support from team representatives, to make their initial contributions.
Weeks 5 and 6 (November 4 – November 15): Finalizing contributions, Wrap up, set a 30-60-90-day goal, and a graduation session.
After these six weeks, mentees will have gained a solid understanding of the WordPress project, contributed to their chosen Make/Teams, and be prepared for continued involvement. Following the success of the pilot and second cohorts, the timing of this cohort is once again aligned with the latest WordPress release (version 6.7), giving all participants the opportunity to help build the latest and greatest edition of WordPress!
The success of this program is largely thanks to our dedicated mentors, who provide group support and guide mentees through their WordPress journey. From a pool of nearly 46 applicants, the following 25 mentors were selected to support these contributors:
Project/Group
Mentor(s)
AccessibilityAccessibilityAccessibility (commonly shortened to a11y) refers to the design of products, devices, services, or environments for people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design ensures both “direct access” (i.e. unassisted) and “indirect access” meaning compatibility with a person’s assistive technology (for example, computer screen readers). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessibility)
TBD
WordPress 6.7 CoreCoreCore is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. Contributions
In addition to projects, we are providing mentees with additional support through a more localized mentoring experience, thanks to the help of local supporters. Here’s a list of local supporter mentors who will be assisting with the program:
In the spirit of openness and collaboration, we invite the WordPress community to follow our cohort’s progress. While not everyone can be assigned a specific mentor, anyone interested is welcome to join the #contributor-mentorship channel on Make/WordPress SlackSlackSlack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/.. Here, you can participate in public sessions and stay updated on the developments of the WordPress 6.7 release and the broader contributor community.
This program wouldn’t be possible without the tireless efforts of our mentors, Contributor Working Group members, and everyone involved in organizing and supporting this initiative. Your dedication to fostering growth and learning within the WordPress community is invaluable. Let’s work together to make this cohort a success, enhancing mentorship within the WordPress project and empowering more contributors!
