This is the home of the Make Community team for 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!
Here is where we have policy debates, project announcements, and assist community members in organizing events.
Everyone is welcome to comment on posts and participate in the discussions regardless of skill level or experience.
Get Involved
If you love WordPress and want to help us do these things, join in!
Welcome to the Monthly Education Buzz Report, your go-to source for highlights and updates on the WordPress Campus Connect, WordPress Credits, and WordPress Student Club education initiatives within the WordPress community. This report aims to celebrate, promote, and inform individuals across the WordPress community and beyond about the diverse educational endeavors underway.
WordPress Campus Connect
March was a landmark month for WordPress Campus Connect (WPCC), with events reaching new countries and one of the largest recap articles in the program’s history going live. The program’s impact numbers page was also updated this month, giving organizers fresh data they can use in their own presentations and pitches to institutions.
Completed Events
WPCC KIST College, Kathmandu, Nepal
WordPress Campus Connect arrived at KIST College in Kathmandu with a full day of sessions and workshops. @utsavsinghrathour led a talk on careers in WordPress, followed by hands-on workshops from @codersantosh and Saroj Khanal. Students were engaged throughout the day, and many have already expressed interest in continuing their WordPress journeys and building a stronger community on campus. Organizers thanked Regan Khadgi and the KIST College team for their support in making the event run smoothly.
WPCC Keiser University, Nicaragua — First WPCC in Nicaragua
The very first WordPress Campus Connect event in Nicaragua took place at Keiser University, bringing a packed agenda of sessions to students in the region. @roblesloaiza (Rita Robles Loaiza) traveled from Costa Rica to speak, sharing her expertise with local students. @alexcu21 provided key support with logistics and on-the-ground execution. Lead organizer @sion99 shared the best outcome: students left so inspired that they’re already planning to form a WordPress Student Club and are looking into joining WordPress Credits.
WPCC Career Institute, Faisalabad, Pakistan — First WPCC in Pakistan
On February 28, Career Institute in Faisalabad hosted the first-ever WordPress Campus Connect event in Pakistan. Lead organizer Abdul Rahman Pomy brought together more than 90 students and 11 hosts, including speakers, organizers, and volunteers, after a month of preparation and dozens of planning meetings. Jesse Friedman from wp.cloud joined as chief guest via video call, and @devmuhib (Muhibul Haque) served as event 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..
The event featured sessions from speakers Arfan Ashraf, Qammar Zaman, Usama Ijaz, and Waleed Tahir, covering WordPress fundamentals and career paths. Organizers Adnan Hyder, Sohail Anwar, Irfan Shafi, Muhammad Ikram, and Hamza Ejaz helped coordinate the day, with volunteer Abu Hurrairah supporting on the ground. Certificates included printed advice from WordPress community members Mary Hubbard, Rae Morey, Jeff Starr, Faraz The Web Guy, Chris Badgett, Anne McCarthy, Rich Tabor, and Miriam Schwab. The team is now looking ahead to establishing a WordPress Student Club at Career Institute. Photos and a video recap are available.
Event Highlights: WPCC Jinja 2025 Recap
The comprehensive recap for WordPress Campus Connect Jinja 2025 was published on WordCamp CentralWordCamp CentralWebsite for all WordCamp activities globally. https://central.wordcamp.org includes a list of upcoming and past camp with links to each. this month, documenting Africa’s first and largest Campus Connect program. Over a five-month period (with a two-month break for national holidays and elections), the WordPress Jinja community visited 12 campuses across Eastern Uganda, reaching 1,293 students and 81 educators. Led by @mohkatz (Mohammed Kateregga), the program brought hands-on WordPress workshops directly into classrooms using mobile ICT labs and local technology partners.
Student WordPress clubs were formed at multiple schools during the program, and these clubs will now serve as satellite communities of the WordPress Jinja 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. while being gradually formalized through the WordPress Student Club program. The next milestone for the Jinja community is 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. Jinja 2026, tentatively planned for September 2026.
The team recognized their 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.@piyopiyofox (Destiny Kanno) and @mosescursor (Moses), along with supporters including @webtechpooja (Pooja Derashri), Harmony Romo, @peiraisotta (Isotta Peira), @thehopemonger (Arthur Kasirye), @clk87, and @muddassirnasim (Nasim Miah).
Also in Uganda, WPCC Lira became the third WPCC event series in the country and the first in Northern Uganda — a sign that the program’s footprint in East Africa continues to expand.
Scheduled and Upcoming Events
Several WPCC events are currently underway or confirmed for the coming weeks:
More events are in planning stages across Indonesia, Brazil, and other regions. Interested in organizing or supporting an event? Join the #campusconnectSlackSlackSlack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/ channel.
Other WPCC Program Updates
Mentor program transition. The WPCC-specific mentor program has been retired and merged into the broader Event Supporters program. Eligible WPCC mentors are being onboarded as Event Supporters, and WPCC mentoring responsibilities now fall under the same framework used for WordCamps and other WordPress events. A new handbook page on Mentoring Campus Connect Events was published alongside this change. This streamlines the process, reduces complexity, and builds a more scalable support structure as the program grows.
WPCC Office HoursOffice HoursDefined 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.. Campus Connect Office Hours are now taking place in the #campusconnect Slack channel, giving current and potential organizers dedicated time to ask questions and share experiences.
WordPress Credits
The WordPress Credits program saw significant growth in March, with new institutions joining, new course formats launching, and continued momentum among students and mentors.
Program Numbers
66 active mentors
292 students currently in the program
8 graduates to date
18 partner institutions, across Asia (2), Europe (12), and North and South America (4)
New Partner Institutions
Ten new institutions joined the program this month, more than doubling the program’s institutional footprint. The full list of current partners:
University of Pisa (Pisa, Italy)
Fidélitas University (San José, Costa Rica)
Franz Tamayo University / Unifranz (Santa Cruz – Cochabamba, Bolivia)
Riga Nordic University (Riga, Latvia)
Ahmad’s Education (Dhaka, Bangladesh)
Krakow University of Economics (Krakow, Poland)
Cracow University of Technology (Krakow, Poland)
Central New Mexico Community College (Albuquerque, New Mexico, US)
IES Azarquiel (Toledo, Spain)
Creative Campus – Universidad Europea (Toledo, Spain)
Drew University (Madison, New Jersey, US)
Escuela de Arte Toledo (Toledo, Spain)
Escuela de Arte de Huesca (Huesca, Spain)
ERAP Research and Learning LLP (Kolkata, India)
Juraj Dobrila University of Pula (Pula, Croatia)
Escuela de Arte de Zaragoza (Zaragoza, Spain)
IES Venancio Blanco (Salamanca, Spain)
Zaragoza Dinámica (Zaragoza, Spain)
Spain now accounts for the largest regional cluster, with seven institutions across Toledo, Huesca, Zaragoza, and Salamanca. This growth reflects the strong engagement from Spanish WordPress communities who have been active in both Campus Connect and Credits.
New Course Formats
Two new course formats launched on Learn WordPress this month:
WordPress Credits – Self-onboarding Pilot — A self-paced onboarding experience designed to let students work through the initial program steps independently before being matched with a mentor.
WordPress Credits – 50 hours — A condensed version of the program structured around a 50-hour contribution commitment.
These new formats expand access and flexibility for students and institutions with different scheduling needs, making it easier for more people to participate.
Student Spotlight: Self-onboarding Pilot
Out of 10 students from Krakow University of Economics who started the self-onboarding pilot, six are about to complete onboarding and will be introduced to their mentors soon. One student has already decided to contribute to the Community team. One participant shared this feedback:
“I’m already more than halfway through the onboarding — it’s really enjoyable to go through! A big plus is definitely the simple vocabulary and the fact that I can come back to the course anytime, at any stage.”
Early results like these suggest the self-paced format is working well for students who benefit from a flexible, go-at-your-own-pace approach.
Mentor Huddles
Two WordPress Credits Mentor Huddles were held in March, timed for different regions:
These regular meetings give mentors a space to share updates, troubleshoot challenges, and coordinate across time zones.
New Sponsor
Smarthost.pl has decided to support the WordPress Credits program and will offer students a domain plus one year of free hosting. This sponsorship is currently being added to the WordPress Credits page. Smarthost.pl joins WordPress.comWordPress.comAn online implementation of WordPress code that lets you immediately access a new WordPress environment to publish your content. WordPress.com is a private company owned by Automattic that hosts the largest multisite in the world. This is arguably the best place to start blogging if you have never touched WordPress before. https://wordpress.com/ and Weglot as program sponsors, providing practical tools that help students build real WordPress projects during their contribution work.
WordPress Student Clubs
The WPCC Jinja recap highlighted a key development for WordPress Student Clubs: the student clubs formed at multiple schools during the Jinja Campus Connect series are now being gradually formalized and onboarded through the WordPress Student Club program. Each club has its own leadership and faculty support and will function as a satellite community of the WordPress Jinja Meetup while operating independently within their schools.
In Nicaragua, students who attended the first WPCC at Keiser University are already organizing to start their own WordPress Student Club. Similarly, the team at Career Institute in Faisalabad, Pakistan, has plans to establish a club on campus as a next step after their successful Campus Connect event.
These developments point to a healthy pattern: Campus Connect events are creating a pipeline of student energy that flows naturally into ongoing Student Club activity.
Other Happenings
New Course: Leading WordPress Education Programs
The Leading WordPress Education Programs course is now live on Learn WordPress. This course is designed for people who want to lead, facilitate, or support WordPress education initiatives, providing guidance on program structure, community engagement, and practical implementation.
These resources, produced by @devmuhib (Muhibul Haque) and @sumitsingh, are a practical toolkit for any organizer setting up an event website using the WordPress 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. Editor.
Impact Numbers Updated
The WordPress Campus Connect page on 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/ was updated this month with current program impact numbers. Organizers can now reference these figures directly in their own presentations and outreach materials when pitching Campus Connect to institutions and partners.
We’re excited to welcome you to the Education table at 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 2026 Contributor DayContributor DayContributor 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/ in Mumbai, India! Whether you’re a student, an educator, a community organizer, or someone who’s simply curious about how WordPress connects with learning environments around the world, this table is for you.
Contributor Day is one of the best parts of any WordCamp: a dedicated space to get involved, meet people who care about the same things you do, and make a real difference in the WordPress project. We hope to see you there.
For the full Contributor Day schedule and other tables you can explore, check out the Contributor Day page.
About the WordPress education programs
The WordPress Community team runs education-focused initiatives designed to bring WordPress into colleges, universities, and learning environments across the world. At the Education table, we work across four programs:
WordPress Credits
WordPress Credits partners with educational institutions to integrate WordPress contributions into academic curricula. Students gain resources, training, and recognition for contributing to real-world open-source work, bridging the gap between the classroom and the global WordPress community.
WordPress Campus Connect
WordPress Campus Connect brings WordPress directly to educational campuses through hands-on workshops and events. These sessions help students discover what WordPress is, how it powers a significant share of the web, and how to start building with it, often for the very first time.
WordPress Student Clubs
WordPress Student Clubs go a step further by building on-campus communities where students can keep learning and collaborating beyond a single event. Clubs empower students to organize their own sessions, support one another, and develop a deeper relationship with WordPress and the open web over time.
WordPress Facilitator Enablement Program
The WordPress Facilitator Enablement Program is a free, open, community-powered program that equips people to teach WordPress topics to others. No prior teaching experience is needed. If you know WordPress and want to help others learn it, whether you’re a developer, educator, freelancer, or community organizer, this program is a great place to start.
Contribution opportunities
There are plenty of ways to contribute at the Education table, no matter your background or experience level. Here are some of the things we’ll be working on:
Review the WordPress Facilitator Enablement Program
Clear, accurate documentation helps organizers and contributors all over the world. At the table, you can help review, improve, and expand handbook pages and resources for WordPress Credits, Campus Connect, Student Clubs, and the Facilitator Enablement Program.
Share your campus or education experience
Have you organized or attended a Campus Connect event? Run a WordPress club at your university? Mentored students through WP Credits? Your real-world experience is genuinely valuable. Sharing it at the table can help shape programs that work better for students and educators globally.
Brainstorm and discuss
Some of the best contributions start as conversations. Bring your ideas for how to grow WordPress in academic communities, support facilitators, or make these programs more accessible globally.
Helpful resources for contributors
Getting familiar with these resources before Contributor Day can help you hit the ground running:
Anyone interested in the intersection of WordPress and education is welcome, including:
Students looking to learn about WordPress and open-source contribution
Teachers and professors who want to bring WordPress into their classrooms
WordPress 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. and WordCamp organizers with an interest in campus programs
Community contributors interested in education initiatives
Developers and designers who enjoy mentoring and supporting beginners
You do not need prior contribution experience to join. If you’re curious, that’s enough.
Things to prepare before Contributor Day
To make your Contributor Day experience as smooth as possible, here are a few things to set up in advance:
Create a 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/ account if you don’t already have one: register here.
@hiabhaykulkarni is a WordPress contributor and community organizer based in India. He led WordPress Campus Connect Kolhapur 2025, bringing WordPress to four campuses and more than 400 students, and has spoken at and organized multiple WordCamps across India. Abhay is also the co-founder of Jeevonix and an active contributor to WordPress coreCoreCore is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress., translations, and plugins.
Destiny Kanno
@piyopiyofox is a Community Education Program ManagerProgram ManagerProgram 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. sponsored Automattic based in Tokyo, Japan, where she drives education initiatives across the WordPress project. A two-time Make WordPress Training Team RepTeam RepA Team Rep is a person who represents the Make WordPress team to the rest of the project, make sure issues are raised and addressed as needed, and coordinates cross-team efforts. and active contributor to the Community team, Destiny has been a key enabling force behind WordPress Campus Connect, the Facilitator Enablement Program, and the Leading WordPress Education Programs course on Learn WordPress.
Maciej Pilarski
@gomp is a Community WranglerWranglerSomeone, usually a person part of event organizing team, who looks after certain things like budget or sponsors. at Automattic who has been contributing to WordPress since 2014. Based in Okinawa, Japan, he co-organized local 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. and WordCamps across Poland before moving to Asia, and is a certified WordPress Credits 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.. Maciej actively promotes WordPress Credits and Campus Connect as pathways for connecting academia with the global open-source ecosystem.
Join us in Mumbai
Whether you’re new to contributing or a long-time WordPress community member, we’d love to see you at the Education table on Contributor Day.
Come learn, share, and help shape how WordPress connects with students and educators around the world.
See you in Mumbai! 🇮🇳
Isotta Peira
2:17 pm on December 12, 2025 Tags: wpcredits
WP Credits 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. huddles will take place 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/ in the private mentor channel, with the following sessions: – last Wednesday of each month at 9am UTC, starting on January 28 – last Thursday of each month at 5pm UTC, starting on January 29
This week we hosted the first two WordPress Credits mentor huddles, and it was great to see 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. joining from different regions to share experiences, challenges, and ideas. Thank you to everyone who made time to participate and help shape the program together!
We discussed the onboarding phase as one of the most critical moments for students to build confidence and start forming connections within the WordPress community. Many students feel overwhelmed by early setup tasks, such as creating accounts and configuring tools, which can slow engagement. This is why is fundamental that mentors have a clear understanding of the full student platform and the entire student journey, in addition to regularly review student reports to stay informed on progress, spot blockers early, and provide timely support.
Communication and engagement
Communication seems to be a recurring challenge, with students often hesitant to ask questions and share progress in an async environment. As a concrete improvement, we agreed to add mandatory steps that prompt students to introduce themselves and regularly post updates in Slack, including in their contribution team channels. Hopefully, this will help normalize communication, increase visibility, and strengthen students’ sense of belonging.
Language and learning resources
We acknowledged language as a significant barrier, particularly for Spanish speaking students navigating primarily English WordPress resources. To reduce friction, mentors agreed to expand multilingual support where possible and to enhance the mentor guide with resources that help assess students’ knowledge levels and tailor guidance across contribution teams.
Mentorship structure
While we explored the idea of assigning an additional technical or specialized mentor after students choose a contribution team, we confirmed that each student will continue to have one primary mentor assigned before the program starts, supporting them throughout the entire experience. When students choose a contribution area outside their mentor’s direct expertise, mentors will introduce them in the relevant team channels and help connect them with experienced contributors, while remaining responsible for weekly syncs and ongoing check-ins.
Improvements to the mentor course
On the training side, @lidarroy and @evarlese are expanding the mentor course to better support teachers and professionals who may not yet have contribution experience. Our goal is to help them confidently navigate WordPress community spaces and grow into well-prepared mentors.
Retention and community integration
We agreed that retaining graduates in the WordPress community beyond the program is a coreCoreCore is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. goal. We began exploring strategies such as inviting program graduates to mentor new students and creating “day in the life” videos that showcase different contribution roles. Tailored actions aimed at retaining graduates will be defined in January and implemented into the program.
Upcoming cohorts
We will move from rolling start dates to fixed monthly onboarding periods during the first two weeks of each month starting in 2026. The January cohort will start on January 5, followed by February 2–13 and March 2–13. From January onward, we will also deliver a shared program presentation before onboarding begins, covering program structure, expectations, tools, and community spaces.
In Q1 2026, we will onboard students from Nordic Riga University, Universidad Fidélitas, Krakow University of Economics, and Central New Mexico Community College, among others, applying these improvements as the program continues to grow.
Mentor huddles
Mentors will start meeting regularly, with monthly huddles becoming a recurring space to share feedback, surface challenges, and continue improving the program together. These sessions are open to all mentors and will take place on Slack in the private mentor channel, with a session on the last Wednesday of each month at 9am UTC, starting on January 28, and a session on the last Thursday of each month at 5pm UTC, starting on January 29.
Want to learn more about WordPress Credits? Visit the program page, join the #wpcredits Slack channel, and take a look at the handbook.
If you wish to apply as a mentor, please carefully read the mentor guide and apply using the form at the bottom of the guide.
At the Faculty of Computer Science of Universidad Fidélitas, we have taken a historic step: we signed an agreement with the WordPress FoundationWordPress FoundationThe WordPress Foundation is a charitable organization founded by Matt Mullenweg to further the mission of the WordPress open source project: to democratize publishing through Open Source, GPL software. Find more on wordpressfoundation.org., turning our Computer Science students into key players in a global experience. Thanks to this partnership, every student will have the opportunity to complete an official internship through WP Credits, directly connecting with the WordPress community and its impact-driven projects.
This agreement reflects a deep conviction: higher education must be tied to the real digital ecosystem, with experiences that prepare students for jobs and to become agents of change within global tech communities.
Elineth Morera Campos (DeputyProgram 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. Director of 100% virtual courses at the Faculty) together with Mary Hubbard at the signing of the WPCredits agreement at WCUS25.
The Birth of the WordPress Campus Connect San José 2025
To celebrate this alliance, we organized the first WordPress Campus Connect in San José, Costa Rica, from September 23 to 25, 2025.
This event marked a milestone as the first WordPress Campus Connect held in Latin America within a university, open to participation from any individual who was a university student, regardless of their field of study or academic level, and carried out in a three-day hackathon format. Throughout the event, participants engaged in hands-on workshops, received direct mentorship, and took part in the WordPress HackLab, a competition designed to transform ideas into digital products with real societal impact.
Photo taken by Gabriel Ramirez, volunteer at WordPress Campus Connect San José 2025
Photo taken by Gabriel Ramirez, volunteer at WordPress Campus Connect San José 2025
Photo taken by Gabriel Ramirez, volunteer at WordPress Campus Connect San José 2025
The Workshops: Learning with Energy and Creativity
The heart of Campus Connect lies in the eight workshops that guided students step by step in building their projects:
From Zero to Website in 90 Minutes – How to quickly start and launch a functional site.
Your Digital Empire, Brick by Brick – Strategic construction of a solid, scalable website.
Think Like a Rebel: Create Without Asking Permission – Fearless innovation, exploring creative freedom with design thinking.
Let’s Dress Up: Branding that Hypnotizes – Keys to visual identity and branding to stand out online.
Secret Vitamins for Your Website: What WordPress Doesn’t Tell You – Advanced tips and features to power up any site.
So Engaging They’ll Read with Eyes Closed – Strategies for clear, persuasive, and AI-enhanced content.
Houston, We Have a Website! (Go Live) – How to move a project from testing to production.
Your Story on Fire (and in 3 Acts) – Digital storytelling and impactful project presentations.
These workshops were not only technical but also creative and strategic, showing students that WordPress is a living, open, and limitless ecosystem.
Cely Cruz, co-organizer of WPCCSJ25, giving her talk
Daniel Solano, speaker at WPCCSJ25 giving his talk
Ariel Ramos, speaker at WPCCSJ25 giving his talk
Rita Robles Loaiza, Lead Organizer of WPCCSJ25 giving her talk
Nicole, Nazareth, and Yiqi, co-organizers of WPCCSJ25 and speakers at the event, before giving their talk.
Rosita Pereira, Co-organizer of WPCCSJ25 giving her talk
The Challenge: “Reconnecting the Human”
The central competition of the event was the WPCC 2025 Challenge: Reconnecting the Human.
The challenge stemmed from a paradox: we have never been so digitally connected, yet we have never felt so lonely. In response, teams had to create a digital product, presented in WordPress, that strengthens in-person human relationships within the university or local community.
The proposals were aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 3, 10, and 11) and ESG principles. Within this framework:
SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) encouraged initiatives to strengthen emotional health and reduce loneliness.
SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) inspired inclusive and accessible solutions for the entire community.
SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) motivated proposals to rescue traditions and foster coexistence in public spaces.
At the same time, ESG principles framed the action plan: environmental care, positive social impact, and ethical, participatory governance. WordPress became the showcase to tell the story of the problem, the value proposition, the digital product, and the expected impact.
Photo taken by Gabriel Ramirez, volunteer at WordPress Campus Connect San José 2025
Photo taken by Gabriel Ramirez, volunteer at WordPress Campus Connect San José 2025
Photo taken by Gabriel Ramirez, volunteer at WordPress Campus Connect San José 2025
The Organizing Team: The Force Behind the Event
None of this would have been possible without the dedication of a passionate organizing team that brought this first WordPress Campus Connect to life:
They were responsible for transforming a vision into a real experience, coordinating workshops, 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., logistics, communication, and every detail to make the event shine.
Part of the team of volunteers and organizers of WordPress Campus Connect San José 2025
Organizing Team of WordPress Campus Connect San José 2025
WordPress Club Fidélitas and Its Podcast
Another historic milestone was the official founding of the WordPress Club Fidélitas, a permanent space where students, faculty, and the community can come together to learn, share, and contribute to the WordPress ecosystem.
As part of this initiative, the Club’s podcast was launched, where we will talk about:
WordPress and its impact on the global web.
Technological innovation applied to education.
Academic and community experiences from Fidélitas.
This podcast will serve as a bridge between academia and the international WordPress community, amplifying the voices of our students and their projects.
The WordPress Campus Connect San José and the agreement with the WordPress Foundation are just the beginning.
Every student who participates in this program will take with them not only technical WordPress skills but also the experience of belonging to a global community, working with purpose, and using technology to generate human impact.
Inspiring Transformation
With this event, we proved that a university can be innovative, close, and global at the same time.
The invitation is clear: to keep dreaming, creating, and reconnecting the human through technology. Because when academia and community walk together, the impossible becomes reality.
Group photo of WordPress Campus Connect San José 2025 taken by Manuel Macias, volunteer from the WordPress San José community.
We’re looking for dedicated 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. to guide the next generation of contributors in WordPress Credits, a flagship educational program of the WordPress FoundationWordPress FoundationThe WordPress Foundation is a charitable organization founded by Matt Mullenweg to further the mission of the WordPress open source project: to democratize publishing through Open Source, GPL software. Find more on wordpressfoundation.org..
WordPress Credits connects university students with real-world, open-source contribution opportunities. Over 150 hours, students learn how to collaborate in distributed teams, work on meaningful projects, and gain valuable skills that bridge academia and professional pathways.
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. Requirements
Minimum 2 hours per week available for the entire duration of the program (current cohorts last 13 to 18 weeks but it may vary)
Availability to sync once a week with students
Ability to provide asynchronous support (SlackSlackSlack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/, email, or other tools)
Commitment to provide a meaningful mentorship experience
Mentor Responsibilities
Guide up to 5 students per mentor (if you have more availability, let us know — we may assign additional students)
Support students in understanding contribution tasks and navigating the WordPress community
Encourage collaboration, accountability, and skill growth
Provide feedback on student progress and final projects
Additional Information
Mentors will be vetted before selection. You will receive an acceptance or rejection email after review.
Currently, we are onboarding students from a limited number of institutions. However, we want to prepare a pool of mentors worldwide so we can match you with students as soon as more universities join the program.
Your mentorship will help students connect their academic learning to real-world practice, while shaping the next wave of WordPress contributors.
Apply Now
If you’re interested in becoming a mentor, please complete the application form:
Welcome to the Monthly Education Buzz Report, your go-to source for highlights and updates on all education-related initiatives within the WordPress community. This report aims to celebrate, promote, and inform individuals across the WordPress community and beyond about the diverse educational endeavors underway.
Inaugural Global Event: This program marked the first-ever global WordPress Campus Connect event, successfully promoting digital innovation and web development skills among students. It was a collaborative effort with CIFP Santa Catalina, Ribering, and WordPress.comWordPress.comAn online implementation of WordPress code that lets you immediately access a new WordPress environment to publish your content. WordPress.com is a private company owned by Automattic that hosts the largest multisite in the world. This is arguably the best place to start blogging if you have never touched WordPress before. https://wordpress.com/.
Hands-on Learning & Awards: Students participated in multiple practical workshops and presented their projects, culminating in a Final Gala. Top projects earned opportunities for further exposure, including presenting at 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. US 2025. Students also received formal recognition through awards and diplomas.
First in Southeast Asia: WCC Cagayan de Oro holds the distinction of hosting the inaugural WordPress Campus Connect event in Southeast Asia.
Engaging Activities: Mr. Tanedo hosted a fun and engaging WordPress trivia game, with active participants receiving branded swag from generous sponsors.
Future Collaborations: PHINMA-COC expressed strong interest in future collaborations, offering to connect the program with the wider PHINMA network of universities and colleges across the country.
And 8 more events are currently in the planning stages! We are actively working to expand our global reach and bring more educational opportunities to students worldwide. Come find us in the #campusconnect Slack channel.
Event Highlights
Scholarship Success Story: A student from the WordPress Campus Connect Ribera del Duero event in Aranda de Duero was awarded a scholarship to attend WordCamp US! His inspiring experience was featured in this article and even published by his school in this article. This clearly demonstrates the tangible benefits and significant opportunities that stem from Campus Connect events.
Other Program Updates
New Handbook Page for Certificates of Participation: To streamline processes for event organizers, the WordPress Campus Connect handbook page has been updated. This new resource provides detailed steps for issuing Certificates of Participation at WordPress Campus Connect events, making it easier for students to receive formal recognition for their involvement.
Scholarship Nomination Guidance: We’ve published comprehensive guidance on how to nominate a student to receive a scholarship to attend a flagship WordCamp. This is an essential read for all event organizers!
Official #wpcreditsSlackSlackSlack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/ Channel: The official #wpcredits Slack channel has been created to ensure project progress and decision-making are open to all interested contributors. We encourage anyone interested to join the conversation there.
Public 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 by the repository owner. https://github.com/ Repository: The public GitHub repository WPCredits-Tracker and its related setup project have been opened to track task priorities and completion transparently.
Applications Underway: We have started receiving applications from companies willing to sponsor 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. and student needs, as well as from interested institutions and students. We are still actively seeking more companies to support and join the program. If your company is interested, please apply via this form.
Other Happenings
Training Team Course Cohorts Are Back!: The WordPress Training Team is relaunching its free, 6-week guided training sessions. The next cohort will focus on “WordPress 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. Editor Basics,” starting soon. These cohorts offer a fantastic opportunity to learn a specific topic in depth with the guidance of a subject matter expert and the support of an online learning group. You can find more details and sign up here.
Learn More About Campus Connect: If you’re interested in understanding the full scope of WordPress Campus Connect events, please refer to this handbook page.
Explore the WordPress Credits Program: Universities and educational institutions interested in participating in the WordPress Credits program can fill out this interest form to receive more information and get started. This program aims to integrate WordPress education directly into academic curricula.
There has been a lot of talk and momentum lately about WordPress in the education space. From the development of the WordPress Campus Connect event series and its affiliated WordPress Student Clubs, to the new WordPress Credits initiative, there is so much the community can offer the youth in education now in a way that is more recognized by the WordPress FoundationWordPress FoundationThe WordPress Foundation is a charitable organization founded by Matt Mullenweg to further the mission of the WordPress open source project: to democratize publishing through Open Source, GPL software. Find more on wordpressfoundation.org.. This post will break down the current initiatives, how you can get involved as a volunteer, contributor, or organizer, and how sponsors can also get involved.
WordPress Campus Connect
WordPress Campus Connect events aim to educate and empower the next generation of WordPress users and developers by providing accessible, hands-on learning experiences. They are one or multiple day events that aim to introduce students to WordPress capabilities, equip them with essential skills like website building and SEO, and expose them to diverse career opportunities within the WordPress ecosystem.
Goal and Purpose:
To educate and empower the next generation of WordPress users and developers by providing accessible, hands-on learning experiences.
Introduces students to WordPress’ capabilities, highlighting its versatility.
Equips students with essential WordPress skills (website building, theme/pluginPluginA plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party. usage, basic SEO).
Exposes students to diverse career opportunities within the WordPress ecosystem (web development, design, content creation).
Fosters networking and mentorship opportunities with industry professionals.
Aims to make WordPress education inclusive and widely available, promoting a free and open web.
How to Get Involved:
Organizers: If you’re a contributor or member of an educational institution interested in organizing this kind of event, fill out this form.
WordPress Student Clubs allow students to sustain on-campus activities and events, encouraging ongoing engagement and education around WordPress. They provide opportunities for students to learn more about WordPress and empower student organizers to grow their local, on-campus community group.
WordPress Student Clubs allow students to sustain on-campus activities and events, encouraging ongoing engagement and education around WordPress. These clubs can be formed by campuses that have hosted a WordPress Campus Connect event, or by those that have not.
Key Benefits:
Provides opportunities for students who missed initial events to learn about WordPress.
Empower student organizers to grow their local, on-campus community group.
Student Clubs may host various types of events like monthly 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. and support recurring WordPress Campus Connect events.
WordPress Credits program integrates students from universities and other educational institutions into the WordPress open-source project by providing structured guidance and real-world experience. It aims to eliminate barriers to entry, foster transferable skills, and nurture the next generation of contributors, creating connections between academic institutions, students, and companies.
While the name includes “Credits,” participation is open to institutions that do not use a credit-based system, as long as they formally recognize the completion of the contribution program as part of the student’s curriculum.
The coreCoreCore is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. activity of the program is contributing directly to WordPress, meaning students work on projects that help maintain, grow, and make WordPress more accessible to users worldwide.
Goal and Purpose:
To integrate university students into 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 by providing structured guidance and real-world experience.
Aims to eliminate barriers to entry for students and newcomers (lack of guidance, practical experience).
Participants develop transferable skills and actively engage with the WordPress community through structured onboarding and personalized contribution projects.
The program’s core activity is WordPress contribution: students work on projects that support the maintenance, growth, and global 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) of the WordPress ecosystem.
Seeks to nurture the next generation of contributors, ensuring WordPress remains innovative, inclusive, and sustainable.
Fosters connections between academic institutions, students, and companies within the WordPress ecosystem.
How to Get Involved:
Universities and Educational Institutions: If you are interested in participating in the WordPress Credits program, please reach out by filling the interest form.
Students: If you’re a student and find this project interesting, please share it with your professors or academic advisors, as applications must be submitted by your institution.
Companies: We invite companies in the WordPress ecosystem to support this initiative by:
Sponsoring 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. to guide new contributors.
Providing tools and resources that help students succeed.
