Update: The Contributor Mentorship Program Pilot is no longer accepting new applications, since we are past our June 30th deadline. We received an overwhelming response for our pilot, and the contributor working group is extremely thankful to all our contributors for this response. We will be reaching out to all applicants over the course of the next few days!
Interested in contributing to WordPress, and want to start your contributor journey with the help of veteran contributors? Join the brand new WordPress Contributor Mentorship Program to gain the necessary skills and guidance that will help you become a successful contributor in the WordPress open sourceOpen Source Open 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!
What is the Contributor Mentorship Program?
Organized by the Contributor Working Group of the WordPress Community Team, the mentorship program pilot is a four-week event between July 12th and August 9th, 2023.
Participants (mentees) will asynchronously work together in a cohort with a group of mentors to build a strong foundation in the WordPress project and make initial contributions to the contributor team of their choice. This will be made possible through cohort-based and personalized 1:1 mentorship, guided courses, and live online workshops. The program aims to:
- Inspire you to contribute your talents to WordPress.
- Help you navigate the ins and outs of the WordPress project.
- Provide you with the necessary guidance to thrive in your contributions and careers.
- Ensure you are aware of opportunities, limitations, and tasks within the various WordPress contributor teams.
- Upskill you through hands-on experience with open source contributions.
- Enhance your career prospects by fostering networking, mentorship, and open source contributions.
- Connect you with a global network of talented contributors, fostering friendships and professional relationships.
- Provide you a chance to directly support more than 40% of the web. 😊
Here is a flowchart that briefly explains how the program looks like:
Sign up now!
This program is open to everyone, irrespective of your skill-level, knowledge, experience, or any other socially identifying criteria!
Want to participate in this mentorship program? Fill out this form to express interest in joining our first cohort which starts on July 12th, 2023 (Wednesday)! Application Deadline: June 30th 2023 (Friday), 23:59 UTC. Sign-ups for the pilot program are now closed, since we are well past the deadline. Selected participants will be informed over email by July 5th, 2023.
But wait, there is more! Read on to get all the details about the program and find out how you can participate along with other details about the program!
Why is this mentorship program so important?
Earlier this year, we discovered that mentorship would greatly support the WordPress contribution flow and help new contributors fully engage with the project. We believe that fresh perspectives and ideas are vital for the growth and success of an open source project like WordPress. That is why we are stepping up with this experimental contributor mentorship program that aims to bridge the gap and empower new contributors to shine.
Who can join this program as a participant?
Anyone can join this program. Yes, really.
Mind you, contribution is not just about code. If you speak a different language, are confident creating or editing educational content or user documentation, have an eye for design, are passionate about growing our community, or even if you simply wish to help out in whatever way you can – we would love to help you leverage your unique skills to benefit the WordPress project.
Whether you are a brand new volunteer contributor with little to no experience or someone seeking broad guidance in navigating the project, we welcome you to this program. If you have participated in other mentorship programs or simply want to connect with fellow contributors across the project to level up your contribution experience, this program is perfect for you too.
How do we select our mentees?
For our first cohort, the program will have a small group of 10 participants. While we might not be able to accommodate all applicants initially, we aim to include as many people as possible in future cohorts. We are committed to assembling a diverse group from different backgrounds worldwide, so get ready to connect with a vibrant community of like-minded individuals where everyone will be able to both give and take. In this initial cohort, self-sponsored or volunteer contributors who are new to the project will be prioritized.
When does the program start and what is the time commitment?
Mark your calendars because the program kicks off on July 12th, 2023 (Wednesday) and wraps up on August 9th, 2023 (Wednesday). The time commitment for this program is fairly light, we do not expect you to contribute more than four hours per week. However, if you are up for it, you can always dedicate more time for this program, as per your availability and capacity.
So, what is in store during this program?
To summarize, 10 participants in this program will be paired with individual mentors, and they will work as a cohort for four weeks. You will develop skills that will help you become an open source contributor, and receive hands-on personalized onboarding and mentorship to kickstart your journey towards your desired WordPress Contributor Team. To know more about the program, please check out its white paper.
Sounds exciting! How do I sign up for the program?
Fill out this form on or before June 30th, 2023 (Friday), 23:59 UTC. Sign-ups for the program are now closed, since we are past the deadline. Working group members will reach out to you with your selection status and share all the program details by July 5th.
Here is a big shoutout to the WordPress Contributor Working Group members who have helped bring this program to life. We are beyond thrilled about this opportunity, and we hope you are too! Together, let’s build an exciting program that supports both our contributor community and our favorite open source project.
The following folks helped in creating this mentorship program and/or in preparing this post: @tobifjellner @oglekler @realloc @angelasjin @jominney @meher
This program is the joint effort of all members of the WordPress Contributor working group. Big thanks to everyone involved for building this from ground up: @adityakane @angelasjin @askdesign @coachbirgit @cbringmann @courane01 @realloc @fitehal @francina @kafleg @javiercasares @jeffpaul @jominney @desrosj @unintended8 @leonnugraha @nomadskateboarding @getsource @nao @oglekler @onealtr @casiepa @patricia70 @webtechpooja @sereedmedia @st810amaze @tobifjellner @webcommsat and @yoga1103
#5ftf, #five-for-the-future, #contributor-working-group #wpcontributors, #mentorship-program