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Results of the Mentorship Program Survey and Contributor Story
Thanks to @ninianepress@sereedmedia and @nao, our working group shipped a post event survey which was sent to all mentees from the mentorship program. At the time of writing this recap, seven people answered the survey and the results are as follows:
Benefits from the program
Gaining confidence
Learning about CoreCoreCore is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress.
Understanding release processes
Better understanding of WordPress teams and release processes
Suggestions
Meeting a Core dev while they solve the ticket in the next program (shadowing contributions)
Expand to multiple languages
Have mentees “try out” different teams by making good first contributions
Clear expectations on mentorship timelines and meeting times
Confusion in welcome meetings
More social interactions and connections between mentees.
In terms of achievements, we also celebrated the following wins from our past cohort:
One of the mentees – @josepmoranpublished a post about his journey on Spanish WordPress.org and spoke about it at WordCamp Madrid with his 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.@javiercasares.
@prikari went on to become a co-organizer of WordCampWordCampWordCamps 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. Mumbai 2023, barely a few months after our cohort concluded.
Detailed survey results were also shared privately with working group members for further analysis. Our group members shared the following feedback:
To have more shadowing sessions.
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. helping out mentees directly with the contribution process (matching mentors and mentees based on contribution interests)
Having a schedule beforehand and balance all activities amongst mentors and mentees.
Continue localized mentorships (mentors and mentees matched based on the languages they speak)
Offer clear expectations for the mentorship program, with better tracking of the mentorship progress in a public space (e.g. in a GitHubGitHubGitHub 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)
Implement some suggestions now and big ticket ones (like multilingual mentorship) later, based on availability.
Have mentees focus on one team first rather than have them bounce around?
Use the Make/Contribute landing page.
Getting feedback from experienced mentees on what particular things might make their onboarding more pleasant.
Mentorship Cohort #2 Schedule & Plans
Based on members’ feedback from past chats, we have put together a draft plan for the next mentorship program. Here’s a link to the draft plan document – updated to factor in the 6.5 release date (March 26, 2024).
Plan Summary
We are following a similar structure from the last program, but will be expanding it to include more mentors and mentees.
There will be a call for mentors and mentees this time, with the hope of prioritizing mentors who match the contribution interest/experience of mentees.
Lesser time on general project introduction and more time for specific team introduction and release shadowing.
Deeper integration into WordPress release process for 6.5
More actionable pre and post-event feedback loopLoopThe Loop is PHP code used by WordPress to display posts. Using The Loop, WordPress processes each post to be displayed on the current page, and formats it according to how it matches specified criteria within The Loop tags. Any HTML or PHP code in the Loop will be processed on each post. https://codex.wordpress.org/The_Loop. and check-in
Follow-up contribution plan for mentees after graduation
Tentative schedule of Mentorship Cohort
Planning: 2 months (We’re currently in this phase, November – December 2023)
Publish Call for mentees/mentors (late November; close at the end of the year)
Cohort selection & program building: (Jan 16 – Feb 9)
Announce selected mentees/mentors (Early Feb; give enough time for the cohort to prepare)
Mentorship Program: 4-6 weeks (Feb 19 – March 29; 6 weeks leading up to the release week)
Graduation & Retrospective: 2 weeks (April 1 – April 12)
We asked members to share their feedback on the program plan, and they shared the following with us:
Thoughts about the plan
There was general feedback that this program is a good next step from our past cohort.
@oglekler: “Highlight in a call for mentees and mentors the areas they can participate in. I want to make a point that it is fine not to be a developer to be an active and successful contributor.”
@jeffpaul asked any of the feedback items from the survey incorporated in the next cohort plans. @harishanker shared some of the key results that are incorporated into the new plan:
More hands-on sessions
Setting clear expectations on mentorship timelines
Being very clear on welcome meetings
Facilitating more connections with mentees
To have more mentors and mentees
@sereedmedia: “i wonder if the application dates being in the downtime holiday season will be a benefit or dampen interest? just hard to get people to pay attention during the holidays.”. Sé also suggested that the application period launch in January along the lines of “new year, new skills”. @mysweetcate suggested that if the program opens in December, we could keep the applications open until January 2024.
@patricia70 asked: “How do we mentor in areas we are not ourselves experienced in? would there be a short “mentor training” first? For example, I know a lot about community, DEIB, some of other areas, but not about Core or GitHub, bug scrubs, commits, etc”. Proposed answers include:
To have mentor training for this cohort.
@nao: “we should try to find a good match with top interest/expertise, but additional training & support from other mentors can also help mentors learn something new about the project.”
@harishanker: ” We could bring in mentees with some experience and train everyone on these basics, the ones that – Core or GitHub, bug scrubs, commits, etc and also other program related areas.”
@adityakane: “in general a good overview of Core and Github usage as a learn course would be very helpful. For core specifically, I mean”
@javiercasares: “I think the Team Reps has a moment here… they know everything about their teams, the documentation and where to find material (and how to create it) so they should also be involved in some active way, supporting not only mentees, but mentors”
@josepmoran: “I totally agree and I join this interesting initiative, since since my presentation in Madrid, here in Spain a small movement has been created that I try to manage based on Javier’s teachings and explain my own experience.”
@glycymeris: “We are creating in Spain a Github handbook for non-experienced people that could be useful. It will be finished in a couple of weeks. If you want we could share it.”
@josepmoran: “Now not only am I and will be mentored, I am taking actions so that other collaborators are aware of these mentorships and I inform you of my learning and process of great progress as a more effective and continuous collaborator.”
Areas in the mentorship program that will help the program succeed
@oglekler: “I can cover several topics in online Zoom sessions and provide support via in-SlackSlackSlack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/. meetings. I think we can have a brief overview of the whole ecosystem (I can do it, but I believe that there are people who can do it much better), second session is about how to start Core contribution (I already did this intro, but hopefully the second time it can be better), and some session with live example about how to create a patch and also another one about testing. I am just suggesting, and will be happy not to do everything I am proposing by myself.”
@ninianepress: “I think shadowing mentors is a fabulous and highly valuable idea and would help mentees a lot, I think. I think a graduation Zoom call is a wonderful idea and I think we should invite past graduates since we didn’t do so last time”
@harishanker: “I would pick release shadowing and finding ways for mentees to participate in any release related things. Testing comes to mind!”
Something to be included in the next cohort
@oglekler: “More feedback and visibility about mentees self learning. This part was sort of obscured for me. Making it more publicly organized and discussed will provide this visibility and give great feedback and insides.”
@harishanker: “We don’t have it covered, but I would like a sub-cohort of mentees (optionally) working on a group project. Perhaps something like a community blockBlockBlock is the abstract term used to describe units of markup that, composed together, form the content or layout of a webpage using the WordPress editor. The idea combines concepts of what in the past may have achieved with shortcodes, custom HTML, and embed discovery into a single consistent API and user experience. theme or a mini feature in core etc (which was suggested by @oglekler)
@ninanepress: “I would really love to see junior and senior mentees and mentors, and to have a mentorship chain”
@sereedmedia “love the mentorship chain. i think that is key to a sustainable program.”
@gusa asked questions on the mentorship program and highlighted the need for a broader culture of mentorship in WordPress. @ninanepress highlighted how the Docs Team has an onboarding guide. @gusus shared of his experience in the Drupal community and shared many excellent points which may be incorporated in WordPress. Some Community Summit sessions were also highlighted in the conversation:
@gusa also shared this task from the Sustainability team which highlights resource needs as well.
Contributing in the next session Many working group members expressed interest in participating in the next cohort in different roles.
Contributor Mentorship Program Badge
One pending task from the past cohort is assigning badges to participants in the program. We had created a formal request for badges, but we recently received feedback from the metaMetaMeta 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 that the program completion badge may not align with the other badges given to mark contribution achievement, leaving us in a bit of a conundrum:
Should we work on a broader change in the badging system?
OR would it be better to display/celebrate the completion differently?
The following ideas were shared in our chats:
@javiercasares: “yes, this is something that has been talked about… we should have two types of badges, the team ones, and “goals one”… but that’s something from Meta… Maybe the option is:
mentors: Community badge
Mentees: the badges from the team they participate (as they gain the badges for their participation)
this is something “for now”, but having in mind having “goals badges””
@harishanker: “Personally, I think our badging system needs an overhaul. But we do need to celebrate the achievements of our mentees. I’m not 100% sure how best we can do that before badging is overhauled””
@josepmoran: “I believe that the mentored badge, without downplaying its importance, can be relative. What really matters are the badges you get through the contributions you make thanks to the emntorias course. and I think those are the ones that are really relevant.”
@tobifjellner changed the ticket type from bug to enhancement.
@courane01: “Noting in the gaming world, badges are called achievements. Sometimes in the edu space. I think we should explore other open sourceOpen SourceOpen Source denotes software for which the original source code is made freely available and may be redistributed and modified. Open Source **must be** delivered via a licensing model, see GPL. projects and how they do likewise. Ex: Linux Foundation does give badges for course completions. https://openprofile.dev/profile/courtneyr. I haven’t seen badging for other uses, yet. Nor have I looked though. I think continuing to differentiate team contribution from other areas is the central point, and terminology is the nuance to sort out first”
@tobifjellner: “I’d love for some badges to still remain as tokens of past contributions, even if we for safety remove some accesses when someone moves on (or even passes away…)”
@ninianepress: “What if we had team badges AND achievements? The latter being stuff like this mentorship completion and the #WP20 From Blogs to Blocks campaign badges”
@jeffpaul: “it seems like the response in that meta ticket is based on not understanding the mentorship program, perhaps restating how the program works will make it clear that the badges apply similarly as other team contribution badges do?”. To which @harishanker asked if we could still do the proposed badges without having to overhaul badging, to which, @jeffpaul agreed as there’s no limit to the number of badges, also the mentorship badge could be created for the community team. Jeff also went on to clarify: “yeah, my reading of the comment on that ticket was more confusion about the request than anything, so perhaps restating and giving some context/links out to make it more clear will hopefully help?”
@harishanker also clarified that as per this post, all working group members are eligible for the community contributor badge.
Hello MeetupMeetupMeetup 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,
As a fellow community organizer, I am thrilled to connect with all of you and share the excitement of organizing WordPress meetupsMeetupMeetup 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.. This newsletter is your go-to resource for tips, tricks, and inspiration to plan successful community events.
Get ready to ignite your passion for organizing and empowering your local WordPress community!
Let’s Try This Together!
If you are thinking of trying a new event format for your Meetup that will allow you and your members to learn together, check out the latest Tutorials that our Learn Team has prepared. You can choose to start with the Tutorials for WordPress users or WordPress developers. They range from how to display testimonials on your website, to how to interact with the WordPress REST APIREST APIThe REST API is an acronym for the RESTful Application Program Interface (API) that uses HTTP requests to GET, PUT, POST and DELETE data. It is how the front end of an application (think “phone app” or “website”) can communicate with the data store (think “database” or “file system”) https://developer.wordpress.org/rest-api/..
Better Engagement Strategy to Grow Your Group
Even if you host the most jaw-dropping events, it’s still important to keep group members involved between meetings to maximize engagement year-round. Do you have a solid communication plan in place for your group? Check out Meetup’s guide on how to pair events with a personalized communication plan that makes members feel at home.
Just Out: Downloadable #WP20 Celebration Photo Props!!
Keep the engagement rolling by adding some pizzazz to your WordPress Celebration photos. Simply download and print one or more of these newly created images. No shipping is required! Whether attending in-person or virtually, adding a prop to show your spirit is a fun way to celebrate 20 years of WordPress.
Download, print, photograph, and share using the hashtag, #WP20!
Need support or guidance from the WordPress Global Community TeamGlobal Community TeamA group of community organizers and contributors who collaborate on local events about WordPress — monthly WordPress meetups and/or annual conferences called WordCamps.?
Thank you for your contribution to the 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/ projects and for supporting the WordPress Community. Let’s come together, share ideas, and make a difference in the WordPress community!
Come together across the globe on May 27, 2023 to celebrate WordPress’s 20th anniversary! Regardless of how you use WordPress or where you call home, you are invited to celebrate this great milestone. Plan a larger party that includes your entire meetupMeetupMeetup 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., spend the day co-working with a group of friends, or hang out virtually online.
Whatever your style, celebrate in your time zone, your way.
Need help planning? WordPress has some resources to help you party. The Meetup Organizer handbook has a section dedicated to helping you plan your meetup’s anniversary celebration. You’ll find email and Meetup.com templates that make sending your announcements and creating your events simple, as well as tips for planning a fun, safe, and inclusive event, in-person or online.
The 20th anniversary website will list events as they are announced and scheduled by organizers, so check back regularly to see if there’s one in your area you’d like to join or help organize.
Additional items, such as pennants, shirts, hoodies, keychains, and more, are also available for purchase at the official WordPress store while supplies last. If the cost of shipping is an issue, consider placing one order as a group and dividing up the shipping costs.
So, whether you’re sporting new anniversary swag or your old favorites from your closet, join WordPress enthusiasts on Saturday, May 27, for a globe-spanning WordPress celebration. Remember to use hashtag #WP20 to share your passion – and photos – for WordPress.
Don’t have an active meetup in your area? It’s not too late to start one.
Hello MeetupMeetupMeetup 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,
Time indeed flies as we are in March already! After the first WordCampWordCampWordCamps 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 took place in Bangkok in February, WordPress community gathering continues to happen.
Folks are excited to start a new meetup group or reactivate the existing one, and plan for a WordCamp.
WordCamp Asia 2024 will be in Taipei and the Call for Organizers is open until April 15, 2023.
Contributor Working Group: Call for Volunteers!
The Contributor Working Group of the Make/WordPress Community Team has been revamped to focus on building a WordPress Contributor Mentorship Program. The membership to the working group is open to everyone. So, if you are interested in volunteering, you can comment on the article that @harishanker published or reach out to him directly on SlackSlackSlack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/.. The first team chat will be on March 20, 2023.
Getting Feedback from Your Event Attendees
Reviewing feedback from attendees is a great way to improve your events and the overall experience for your group members. Meetup has made some improvements on the post-event feedback feature on the Meetup App (iOSiOSThe operating system used on iPhones and iPads. & Android). Check this page out to learn more about viewing feedback from your members.
WP20 Celebrations and Wapuu Contest
#WP20 is coming soon and a fun way to bring your community together to acknowledge the power of WordPress and the love we have for it is with a party!
Don’t wait to schedule your meetup’s Celebration event. Planning resources are available in the Meetup Organizer Handbook. Sign up to have a bundle of event-specific swag shipped right to you! Once scheduled, you’ll be showcased on the event site alongside all of the Meetup Celebrations from around the world.
Additionally, show off your community’s creative side by joining the Wapuu Coloring Giveaway. Follow the link to learn the details and prizes available to win!
Need support or guidance from the WordPress Global Community TeamGlobal Community TeamA group of community organizers and contributors who collaborate on local events about WordPress — monthly WordPress meetups and/or annual conferences called WordCamps.?
Thank you for your contribution to the 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/ projects and supporting the WordPress Community! Let’s keep growing together, and inspire each other!
Happy February to all! Read on for exciting updates from the WordPress community, including how you can shape the learning resources on Learn WordPress; the new and improved openverse.org landing page; and the latest Meetup.com feature – Event Chat.
Remember, #WP20 will be here soon!Keep an eye out for more information at https://wp20.wordpress.net/, and start planning your meetupMeetupMeetup 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. group’s celebration.
🎓 Complete the Training Team’s Individual Learner Survey by 20 February
The Training Team wants to hear from you! Complete the Individual Learner Surveyby 20 February to help shape the future of the Learn WordPress project. Your feedback will help identify the most high-impact resources for Learn WordPress! Please encourage your meetup members groups to complete the survey too.
And did you know that Learn WordPress is an excellent resource for meetup group content? If you’d like to know more, check out a recording of the recent Community Team training: Using Learn WordPress at your WordPress Meetup.
🚀 Announcing openverse.org!
The openverse project has a new home – openverse.org! With a fresh new look, it’s now easier than ever to find free to use media for your WordPress projects. More information can be found in this post.
Q: What is openverse?
A: Openverse is a searchable catalog of free to use media! Currently Openverse searches images and audio, and plans to add additional media types such as open texts and 3D models, with the ultimate goal of providing access to all 1.4 billion CC licensed and public domain works on the web. And the best part? All the code is open sourceOpen SourceOpen Source denotes software for which the original source code is made freely available and may be redistributed and modified. Open Source **must be** delivered via a licensing model, see GPL. (Openverse frontend, Openverse API, Openverse Catalog), so you can even contribute to the project.
💬 Meetup.com Tip: ‘Event Chat’ feature
Meetup.com’s new communication feature, ‘Event Chat,’ is a great way to help your meetup group stay connected and engaged between events by enabling real time conversations. It can also allow you to establish a rapport with potential new group members before the event begins, and it’s a great way to convert RSVPs into actual show-ups. Event Chat supports photo sharing, link previews, emoji reactions to messages, visible timestamps for messages & sharing pdf documents. And don’t worry, there are moderation options for organizers too! Learn more and try it out today.
💡 Need support or guidance from the WordPress Global Community TeamGlobal Community TeamA group of community organizers and contributors who collaborate on local events about WordPress — monthly WordPress meetups and/or annual conferences called WordCamps.?
Wishing you and your meetupMeetupMeetup 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. communities a happy and fulfilling 2023. This is a particularly special year, as WordPress turns 20 in May!
Read on to learn about how we’ll celebrate this exciting anniversary, an upcoming 26 January training for meetup organizers, and a discussion about strengthening the Five for the Future contributor journey.
26 January Community Team Training: Use Learn WordPress at Your WordPress Meetup
You are invited to our Zoom Training Session on 26 January! This session will cover how you can use 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/’s free Learn WordPress platform in your WordPress meetup events.
Learn WordPress offers a variety of resources that help people learn to use, extend, and contribute to WordPress through synchronous and asynchronous learning. The learning materials on Learn WordPress include tutorials, courses, and online workshops, as well as downloadable lesson plans that instructors can use in live environments.
May 27, 2023 marks the 20th year of WordPress. Starting now, a number of different events will bring together the WordPress community to celebrate this important milestone, reflect on the journey, and look toward the future.
Be sure to follow WordPress’s official social media accounts along with the official anniversary website for updates on how you and your meetup can be involved in this exciting celebration by contributing content, collecting cool anniversary swag, organizing a special 20th anniversary meetup, and much more. Use the hashtag #WP20 on social media to share the excitement!
Seeking Feedback: How Can We Improve the Five for the Future Contributor Journey?
Launched in 2014, Five for the Future encourages organizations to contribute five percent of their resources to WordPress development. The initiative intends to foster “generous collaboration toward the long term health and stability of [the WordPress open sourceOpen SourceOpen Source denotes software for which the original source code is made freely available and may be redistributed and modified. Open Source **must be** delivered via a licensing model, see GPL.] project for the future.”
This post shares research on the contributor journey for individuals and organizations committed to the Five for the Future initiative. Your feedback will be valuable in further refining the contribution experience for pledged contributors. Please read and comment on the post to share your ideas for strengthening the Five for the Future contributor journey!
If you have any questions, Community Team deputiesProgram SupporterCommunity Program Supporters (formerly Deputies) are a team of people worldwide who review WordCamp and Meetup applications, interview lead organizers, and keep things moving at WordCamp Central. Find more about program supporters in our Program Supporter Handbook. are here to help. Please email us at support@wordcamp.org or join the #community-eventsSlack channel. Thanks for everything you do to grow and support the WordPress community—let’s keep sharing knowledge and inspiring each other with our contributions!
#WP20 will be here sooner than you think. Don’t forget to start planning for your Watch Party! Keep an eye out for it at: https://wp20.wordpress.net/
