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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.
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If you love WordPress and want to help us do these things, join in!
Mary just published the 2026 Big Picture Goals for the project, and we wanted to share what this means specifically for our Community Team work this year. Education-related goals will be discussed in their own context, so this post focuses on the major priority that affects us directly: revamping 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..
Why meetups matter more than ever
Meetups are explicitly called out as the primary front door to the WordPress community. With WordPress Credits and Campus Connect scaling quickly, we’re going to see more new people looking to get involved. Meetups need to be ready to welcome them and, critically, turn that curiosity into active participation.
As the post highlights:
“Meetups are where people build confidence, relationships, and momentum. When they work well, they turn curiosity into commitment.”
Building on what works
Many meetups are already doing great work bringing people together. In 2026, we want to expand and strengthen what’s working by adding more opportunities for active participation alongside the presentations and social gatherings that meetups already do well. This means:
Adding issue-focused sessions where attendees work together on real WordPress problems
Expanding hands-on learning opportunities tied to actual WordPress needs (complementing presentations with practice)
Providing clear next steps that move people from 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. participation into contribution on Make teams
Exploring new topics together: As AI tools become more common, meetups are natural spaces where people can learn together how these tools fit into WordPress workflows
What we need to do
This evolution requires support from us as a team. Here’s what we think our priorities should be for Q1 and beyond:
Immediate actions (Q1-Q2 2026)
Review and strengthen current meetup resources
Audit the Meetup Organizer Handbook to ensure it supports this broader approach
Identify what additional guidance organizers need for running hands-on, issue-focused sessions
Connect with our meetup organizer community
Review all existing meetup groups to understand current activity levels
Reach out to organizers to share these goals, learn about their challenges, and offer support
Contact groups that haven’t met recently to explore options: finding new co-organizers, revitalizing the group, or respectfully closing inactive chapters
Create practical resources for organizers
Templates for hands-on session formats and issue-focused meetups
Suggested workflows for connecting meetup attendees to Make teams
Sample “next steps” pathways for different skill levels
Guidance on facilitating learning sessions about emerging topics like AI tools in WordPress
Highlight and share what’s working
Identify meetups already running successful hands-on or contribution-focused sessions
Create ways to showcase these examples to inspire other organizers and 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.
Develop a system for celebrating and amplifying innovative meetup formats
Mid-term work (Q2-Q3 2026)
Enhance organizer training and onboarding
Update orientation materials to include guidance on active participation formats
Include resources on mentoring new contributors who attend meetups
Strengthen the meetup-to-contribution pipeline
Work with Make team reps to ensure they have clear onboarding for meetup attendees
Create better visibility of “good first issues” that meetup groups can tackle together
Improve coordination with Education programs
Establish clear pathways for WordPress Credits and Campus Connect participants to find local meetups
Provide organizers with context on what these program participants will need
Success metrics
We should be tracking:
Number of meetups incorporating hands-on/contribution-focused sessions
Growth in meetup activity and attendance
Organizer feedback on new resources and guidance
Success stories we can share with the broader community (meetup attendees who became contributors, innovative session formats, community impact examples)
How you can help
This is a team effort. We’d love to hear from you:
Organizers: What would help you add more hands-on, contribution-focused elements to your meetups? What’s working well right now that we should amplify?
Program and event supporters: How can we better support organizers as they expand their meetup offerings?
Everyone: What examples have you seen of meetups that successfully move people into contribution? Which groups should we be highlighting?
Drop your thoughts in the comments or pingPingThe act of sending a very small amount of data to an end point. Ping is used in computer science to illicit a response from a target server to test it’s connection. Ping is also a term used by Slack users to @ someone or send them a direct message (DM). Users might say something along the lines of “Ping me when the meeting starts.” us 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/. (#community-team). If you are able and willing to help with specific tasks (updating handbook content, creating templates, coordinating with Make teams, or reaching out to organizers) let us know.
Next steps
We’ll be scheduling a team discussion in the next couple of weeks to break down these priorities and assign ownership. In the meantime, if you’re organizing or mentoring meetups, start thinking about what one hands-on session could look like in your community, or share an example of something great that’s already happening.
2026 is about momentum. Meetups are where that momentum begins. Let’s make sure we’re ready to support, celebrate, and grow together.
I’ve been going to WordCamps since 2014, and I genuinely enjoy them — they’re interesting and inspiring. The only thing that sometimes puts me off is the lack of practical, hands-on information. Admit it: you don’t see that much code, and there are very few screenshots or videos of admin dashboards in the talks.
One of the reasons is the ban on product presentations or product mentions, which I understand on one hand — but on the other hand, I don’t. As a web builder, I spend all day tinkering in the dashboard and working with well-known plugins like WP Rocket and WooCommerce. But when I’m at a 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., it suddenly becomes “taboo”. All of that made me think.. for years.
Another aspect is how passive the audience is during talks — which is of course logical, they are listening. 😃 But I’m convinced WordCampers want to see more proactivity. That’s why I’m so happy about the rise of workshops. Fantastic! Most workshops are tasks participants apply to their own situation: improving SEO or 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) on their own website. So everyone ends up working on their own little island… Also that made me think how i can get something common.
For years I’ve had the idea of how we could do this better: a concept that’s truly hands-on, proactive, and where everyone works on exactly the same thing.
And that’s how The National Championships Performance Optimization was born.
I built 24 identical sites and deliberately made them extremely slow. The participants’ task: transform this crappy site into a lightning-fast one.
At WordCamp Netherlands, I applied this concept — and the enthusiasm and results were even better than I had dared to hope.
In this blog post, I’ll walk through my approach, workflow, and pitfalls.
Approach:
Keep it light
First of all: the name of my concept, “National Championship,” is purely an idea. My time slot was early on day two of WordCamp — you know, the moment when plenty of people are still in their hotel beds. (Sleeping and waking up gently without kids around… I get it.)
On top of that, my session was scheduled opposite Joost de Valk. Yeah — up against a world-famous WordPress icon. So I had to come up with a grand, attention-grabbing title.
But at the same time, I want to keep it extremely light. Light and funny. When I was co-lead organizer of WordCamp Antwerp 2018, I did the intro while wearing a fries costume. That’s exactly the vibe I want to see more of. Not necessarily fries costumes — but that lightness, without stiffness.
Saving the world through code is interesting, sure. But most WordCamp visitors simply want to build great websites and shops. So just be chill — and every now and then, be a little weird.
That’s also why I made that crazy promo video.
Everyone is a winner
Attending a WordCamp is, for many people (including me), already a challenge to your imposter syndrome. There are so many smart people walking around. But with my challenge, I wanted to make sure everyone felt comfortable. Participating matters more than winning.
When you think of a prize, you might imagine a trophy or a medal. Nope. A WordPress teddy bear — that’s what you could win.
It was pretty funny (though I expected it): everyone went crazy for those WordPress teddy bears, either as a fun collectible or for their kids. I had 10 bears made.
In the end I had two winners. And the other bears? Every participant got a raffle ticket at the start. At the end, we spun the wheel — and the bears literally flew across the room to the lucky “alternative” winner.
Let everyone win — no matter their skill set.
Keep it short and interactive
To be fair: I did the challenge myself as preparation — and I found it pretty tough. After 40 minutes, I ended up with a Google PageSpeed score of 70/65 (mobile/desktop).
Here’s the time plan I used (tight, fast-paced, and with checkpoints):
10 minutes — Challenge briefing
5 minutes — Super quick performance training (including tips)
40 minutes — Participant challenge
5 minutes — Congratulate the winners
15 minutes — Review performance solutions, where both winners and participants could explain their workflow, share your learnings.
5 minutes — Raffle draw for the remaining teddy bears
The most surprising thing for me was that newcomers absolutely loved the challenge — even if their performance scores weren’t high. They still got to work hands-on, and they genuinely learned something by listening to how others had improved the site.
The more experienced WordCampers enjoyed it too, and said it was definitely something worth repeating. A lot of people told me afterwards that this was one of the highlights of their WordCamp. You honestly can’t ask for a better compliment.
Of course I’m biased, but the vibe and tension in the room… it had been a while since I’d felt that kind of excitement at a WordCamp. And that was also thanks to the incredible energy of the MC, and Marcel from Kinsta, who backed me up in case we ran into hosting issues. Both of them gave it 100%: checking in with participants, keeping time, and keeping the momentum and suspense alive.
images by Jeroen Rotty
Practical elements
Hosting was a crucial part of the whole concept. Since Kinsta sponsors a lot of WordCamps — including WordCamp Nederland — they were my first choice. Marcel Boostman was instantly super enthusiastic, just like we all know him.
The funny part was that my “crappy” site actually got pretty decent performance scores on Kinsta. So their support team received a question they’d probably never heard before: “Can you turn off all caching and make my website truly crappy?” 😅
In the end, everything ran perfectly — thanks to the near top-tier hosting package Kinsta provided for free. As i firmly believe in decent thank-yous, the sites had some Kinsta product-placements. Also their logo in my promo video. I know this is against guidelines of WordCamps and i take full credit for that. But Kinsta really delivered it (and more), and they we’re in fact a WordCamp sponsor. So i am reading between the lines here. As long as the outcome benefits waaayyy more joy, fun, hands-on learning, community mindset then commercial interest, i’ll go for it every day of the week – that is my personal opinion.
A few things I specifically wanted from the hosting setup:
the ability to duplicate sites quickly from the hosting dashboard
a rock-solid platform — because 24 sites + 40+ people unleashing crazy performance tweaks needs to be able to take a beating
I emailed all the (popular) WordPress tool makers and asked for a free bulk license. Almost every vendor agreed. That way, participants didn’t have to use their own licenses. And since all the sites were deleted the next day anyway, no data was retained.
For the scoreboard, my first idea was to measure performance myself via the Google PageSpeed APIAPIAn API or Application Programming Interface is a software intermediary that allows programs to interact with each other and share data in limited, clearly defined ways.. But even with 10 API keys running in parallel, it still took way too long.
So instead, I built a dashboard using Lovable where teams could enter their own desktop/mobile scores — plus a screenshot as proof. Beforehand, I clearly emphasized that honesty mattered when submitting scores. Fun aspect: with every score submission, the scoreboard played for 10 seconds the national anthem. Hilarious.
Prize wheel: I built that entirely with Lovable too. Super handy — and I put it together in just 10 minutes. Embrace AI, and you can quickly set up fun little tools like this for challenges like these.
Talk to the WordCamp organizers: this concept isn’t ordinary. Organizers need to know in advance so you get a proper room, the MC is briefed, and everyone understands what’s expected. My very first ideas were even wilder, but after talking with the organizer, I realized it had to be designed in a simpler, more realistic way.
Other ideas for a group challenge?
In a performance challenge, hosting is the most crucial part. On top of that, it’s also harder to scale — for example, it’s not easy to run a performance challenge with 60–70–150+ participants at the same time.
One option could be to build “something” via WordPress Playground — where you let participants spin up a site using recipes and then run a design challenge.
And long live tool creation with AI. Think of a pixel-based measurement and comparison using AI: the participants whose result deviates the least from the original design wins.
Want to run a performance challenge at 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. or WordCamp?
I’d be happy to help you get started. I can share the WordPress install, the Lovable scoreboard, and of course all the practical details.
The Community Team chat takes place the first Thursday of every month in the #community-team channel 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/..
This meeting is meant for all contributors on the team and everyone who is interested in taking part in some of the things our team does. Feel free to join us, even if you are not currently active in the team!
You will find a preliminary agenda for the meeting below.
If you wish to add points to discuss, comment on this post or reach out to one of the team reps: @adityakane, @thehopemonger, @st810amaze, @webtechpooja. It does not need to be a blog post yet, the topic can be discussed during the meeting nevertheless. We use the same agenda for both meetings.
Call for meeting host If anyone is available to host the second sessions of the Community Team monthly meeting at 9pm UTC, please reach out to one of the team reps, who are all based in APAC and EMEA countries: @adityakane, @thehopemonger, @st810amaze, @webtechpooja.
Check-ins: Program and Event Supporters / Contributors
What have you been doing and how is it going?
What did you accomplish after the last meeting?
Are there any blockers?
Can other team members help you in some way?
Highlights to Note
Here are a few things everyone should be aware of.
This is your chance to discuss things that weren’t on the meeting agenda.
We invite you to use this opportunity to share anything that you want with the team. If you currently have a topic you’d like to discuss, add it to the comments of this post, and we will try to update the agenda accordingly.
Hope to see you on Thursday, either in the Asia-Pacific / EMEA (12:00 UTC) or Americas-friendly version (21:00 UTC) of the meeting!
The Women in Tech initiative started as a simple idea but turned into a powerful global movement, empowering women in the WordPress community to step into leadership roles. As part of the Make WordPress Community Team’s global initiative, this event aimed to celebrate and uplift women in tech through inspiring talks, engaging activities, and community bonding.
The Idea Behind the Initiative
The idea for this unique format was inspired by a conversation I had with Aditya Kane, a friend & WordPress community team representative. Aditya shared a wonderful idea that was suggested by his sister, Arundhati Kane, to organize a local all-women’s 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. in Mumbai on International Women’s Day. While discussing this, Aditya suggested, What if we expand this idea to a global scale, where WordPress communities worldwide could host women-led events? This concept took shape during our conversation, and with the support of the WordPress community team, I proposed this idea through a blog post on the community website. Soon, the WordPress Community officially supported this initiative. You can learn more about this inspiring movement at Hosting WordPress Events for Women on International Women’s Day.
Making the Vision a Reality
Turning this vision into reality required dedication, collaboration, and persistence. The journey involved inspiring conversations, countless messages, and building trust within communities. I personally reached out to 30-40 WordPress communities worldwide, encouraging them to participate. It wasn’t easy—many communities had never organized a women-led event before, and some faced difficulties finding female speakers or volunteers.
Despite these obstacles, the response was overwhelming. Through continuous follow-ups, guidance, and support, we saw over 25+ events take place globally. This was a powerful testament to the strength and unity of the WordPress community and the determination of organizers to make this initiative successful.
Special thanks toJuan Hernadofor his tremendous support in vetting events, creating the website, approving budgets, and ensuring the smooth processing of this initiative. His dedication played a crucial role in making this happen. Also, I would like to thank my amazing team for their support over the past two months to make sure everything ran smoothly!
Gathering all the information can be challenging, and I might have missed some details or cities. If your city isn’t mentioned here, please let me know in the comments!
The Women in Tech initiative created a powerful and lasting impact on the WordPress community worldwide:
Women felt welcomed, valued, and encouraged to participate in future WordPress events.
Attendees expressed feeling special and thoroughly enjoyed the events.
The initiative provided a comfortable platform where women spoke openly and confidently without hesitation.
This initiative has paved the way for greater female representation in WordPress leadership roles, ensuring more women feel empowered to contribute, lead, and shine in the tech industry.
This incredible journey wouldn’t have been possible without the WordPress community’s collaborative spirit. Here’s to breaking barriers and empowering more women to shine in tech! 🚀✨
Some glimpse of the celebration worldwide
Building momentum for the future
Organizing Women’s Day events across the WordPress ecosystem presented its challenges, but even more powerful were the stories of growth, connection, and transformation that emerged. Many events were led by women organizers for the first time. In WP LATAM, “four of the organizers were new, and during the planning process, we trained them so they can now organize events in their local communities.” The experience was marked by “transparency in every step and freedom to collaborate,” and the team praised the process for being “well-structured” and for giving everyone “a task and the autonomy to carry it out.”
This empowerment was echoed across continents. WP Nicaragua shared how the event “was entirely led and organized by women, most of whom had never led a community event before.” What made it so impactful was seeing “what’s possible when women are given space to step up, take the lead, and create something meaningful for their local tech community.”
From WP Bhopal came a celebration of diversity and inclusion, with sessions held in both Hindi and English “for better 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).” The audience ranged from “students, entrepreneurs, journalists, homemakers, designers, freelancers, social activists, and more,” and even included “our youngest attendee, a 5th-grade schoolgirl!”
In WP Pune, the message was one of ongoing inspiration: “Our hope is that this event will inspire even more women to step into the spotlight, whether by organizing sessions, speaking at conferences, or leading teams in the tech industry.” Similarly, WP Dhaka acknowledged the long-standing imbalance: “The lack of female participation has always been a concern. Events like Dhaka Women WordPress Day 2025 aim to bridge this gap by inspiring more women to explore the WordPress ecosystem.”
Each of these events proved that when we create space for women to lead, collaborate, and contribute, we don’t just run events, we reshape communities. As more organizers reflect on these experiences, one thing becomes clear: this isn’t a one-time celebration. It’s the beginning of a stronger, more inclusive future for the WordPress project.
WordPress Campus Connect is growing, and we need community support to advance key initiatives. We are seeking assistance in the specific areas detailed below. If you are interested in contributing, please comment on this post or reach out to the team in 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.
Campus Connect 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.
Campus Connect Participant
Documentation
We require assistance with reviewing and creating content:
Education Handbook: Review for clarity of instruction and identify opportunities for improvement.
Community Handbook 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. Pages: Review for clarity of instruction and identify opportunities for improvement.
Draft 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. e-guide
Resources Page: Draft a new page in the Education Handbook that includes direct links to essential resources for organizers (e.g., pitch decks, logos).
Last year, the WordPress Community came together to celebrate International Women’s Day with women-centric WordPress events across the globe. It was our first-ever initiative of this kind, and the response was incredible. Communities hosted inspiring events that empowered women, amplified voices, and strengthened local ecosystems.
We’re excited to announce that we’re bringing it back this year! The Community Team invites local WordPress communities to once again organize women-focused WordPress events around International Women’s Day and to continue building inclusive, supportive spaces for women and gender minorities in tech.
Planning to host an event? We’ve documented the entire process, guidelines, and best practices in a dedicated handbook to help organizers get started with confidence, covering the application process, budgeting, and event formats.
Hello, it’s November. It’s time to decide who will represent the new community team next year!
In 2024, we made the following proposals to adapt the structure of 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., which changed the term a Rep would serve to two (2) years, and to have 4 team reps, 2 that remain, 2 that will be elected. In 2025, four people served as reps.
Change the number of years in office from one to two years (step down is possible if desired), with one or two of the three remaining the following year to facilitate continuity
In 2026, we want to introduce 2 Team reps, along with 2 or 3 who will continue from the previous year.
Team Rep Role
Each team has representatives in 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, abbreviated as “reps”.
Team reps are responsible for communicating on behalf of the group to the other contributor groups via weekly updates, as well as occasional chats.
As a reminder, it is not called “team lead” for a reason. While the people elected as team reps will generally come from the pool of folks that people think of as experienced leaders, the team rep role is designed to change hands regularly.
This role does have a time commitment attached to it, at least one hour a week. The main tasks include:
Writing the agenda for the Community Team meetings
Coordinating the facilitator of the meeting and the posting of summaries
Discuss the community team’s annual goals
Keep an eye on the moving parts of the team and provide reports for quarterly updates
How Community Team Rep Elections Work
Following our election process last year, the Community team is planning on these key steps:
Nominations:
Anyone can nominate a Community team rep! Self-nominations are welcome too. To nominate someone or yourself, please comment in this post. If you would like to nominate someone in private, please reach out to @adityakane, @st810amaze, @thehopemonger, or @webtechpooja.
Nomination Open: 11 December 2025
Nomination Closes: 09 January 2026
We will only add people who respond positively to a nomination to the poll, so feel free to decline a nomination if you don’t feel like this is the right fit for any reason.
Voting
We will open voting with a new blog post as soon as nominations are closed. Community members can vote to select new Community Team Reps.
Voting Open: 15 January 2026
Voting Closes: 30 January 2026
Results
We will then be able to announce our new team reps in early February 2026!
Nominate now
Please nominate people for the Community team rep in the comments of this post or via private message by 09 January 2026.
Finally, if you have any questions, please also feel free to ask in the comments.
Nominations are closed.Thank you for all the comments!
Incredible ideas and passion have already sparked real momentum across this community. Now it’s time to turn that energy into results: step forward, review proposals, lend your expertise, and help bring these ideas to life!
A few of the current areas we have identified that need support:
Advancing GatherPress, so official WordPress Chapter 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. groups can use an open-source solution for event and group management (Reminder, Meetup.com is the largest overhead expense of the events program)
Individual(s) set as dedicated maintainers: Currently Dion Hulse (@dd32) is monitoring Pull Requests within 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/, but there are none coming in, so let’s change that!
Offer Open Access to Contributors: Following setup instructions here, one is able to set up a Mirror. No production environment is needed.
Community Roadmap: Let this post serve as a starting point for development of a roadmap for this work. Improvements are possible, and once we have a clear view of how many people can contribute to this effort, and which projects are most important within Camptix, priorities can be set. Perhaps, someone from the new program team has ideas? @karmatosed FYI
GatherPress Status
Earlier this year, there was a call for more help with testing before integration with 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/ can move forward. While WPCC Student Clubs have been set up on GatherPress, we need more real life testing from the community to move this project closer to integration. In addition, the development team needs guidance on what features are needed, such as messaging specifics, data exports, etc.
From a development perspective, the team needs help connecting to .org, as well as getting events in the dashboard widgetWidgetA WordPress Widget is a small block that performs a specific function. You can add these widgets in sidebars also known as widget-ready areas on your web page. WordPress widgets were originally created to provide a simple and easy-to-use way of giving design and structure control of the WordPress theme to the user. for discoverability.
Join their SlackSlackSlack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/. Group #gatherpress and participate in the GatherPress team weekly huddles on Fridays at 15:00 UTC.
Event Tools and Site Improvements
With some fantastic brainstorming from the community last year, a solid set of ideas were put forth for how to continue improving the newly created events site https://events.wordpress.org/, but in addition, let’s continue to improve our existing tools. Enhancing the budgeting tools, upgrading the planning features to better support team organization throughout the planning process (beyond the current drop-down menus), and improving the main interface and user experience would make a significant difference for those working to support WP events.
Currently, the WordCamp.org issues in GitHub could use a good scrub in order to resurface what’s most important and relevant at this stage.
In relation to an events app, there’s one already in use by WordCamps within Spain that could potentially serve as a starting point, with opportunities to build features like:
Real-time attendee messaging
Networking and professional matchmaking opportunities
QR-based lead capture for sponsors
Interactive event maps
Over the years, several apps have been started, but none have reached their full potential due to shifting priorities. An events app could offer valuable benefits for both attendees and sponsors. There are two possible paths forward: If we build on the current app in development, making the source code public would allow for broader contributions. Alternatively, given our talented community, someone could start a new mobile app and open it for collaborative input.
Next Steps
Whether you love working on front-end details, back-end systems, user experience, or event tools, there’s a place for you in our community. We’re a group of contributors who care about creativity, collaboration, and building tools that make WordPress events even better.
If you’d like to share ideas, contribute code, or help shape new features, we’d love to have you join the conversation. Bring your curiosity and enthusiasm: we’ll bring the shared vision and the 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. spirit.
Want to get involved? Reach out at support@wordcamp.org and be part of shaping the future of WordPress events, one commit at a time.
WordPress.tv is a great place to go to catch up on your favorite 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. sessions, or perhaps virtually attend a Camp you could not make in person. These videos are a great way to up your game and learn about WordPress, especially if you are an aspiring developer, or established user.
However, for new users to WordPress, one thing we don’t have on WordPress.tv is videos of how to do things directly in the dashboard of their site. These are more “just getting started” kinds of videos, centered around common tasks or goals, such as:
How to configure widgets
Setting up a custom menu
Managing comments
How to insert an image gallery
These kinds of videos would do a lot to help teach WordPress to a new generation of users, and are just the kind of videos we want to host on WordPress.tv! How do we get there? That’s where you come in… 🙂
Submit your WordPress screencasts and video tutorials to WordPress.tv!
Are you a proud member of the WordPress community, who creates (or would like to create) videos that are focused on helping others learn how to use WordPress? If you answered “yes” then we would love your help in submitting your videos to WordPress.tv, so we can share them with the world in our “how to” section here: http://wordpress.tv/category/how-to/
Ready to go? You can use this handy upload form to send your video for review: http://wordpress.tv/submit-video/
What makes a good screencast or video tutorial?
We find that the following guidelines are all important to keep in mind when creating effective training videos for others to learn from:
Shorter videos are better – 3 minutes or less is a good guideline.
Focus on a single topic or task for your videos
Clear audio – Make sure your voice is easy to hear and understand
Focus on the browser window
No self-promotion or logos in the video
That last bit bears some explaining. While we want you to be able to benefit from your work, WordPress.tv is a non-commercial community-run website; we can’t accept videos with watermarks, logos, or self-promotion of any kind. We do have a place for you to enter your 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/ profile name as a producer credit, so you will get noticed!
Here is an example of an existing (slightly out of date) screencast that meets all the above guidelines: http://wordpress.tv/2013/06/22/how-to-use-the-image-galleries/
So why not share the love, and help train a new generation the joys of using WordPress. Good karma (and a free copy of WordPress) will be your reward for helping out! Thanks!
– Your WordPress.tv Community Moderators (aka “The Mod Squad”)
The call for 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. is closed. You can submit the form to be considered for when new openings emerge.
Are you passionate about WordPress, dedicated to empowering the next generation, and experienced with organizing impactful events? We invite you to become a Campus Connect 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. and help shape the future of WordPress education on campuses around the world!
About Campus Connect
Campus Connect is an educational event series bringing WordPress knowledge, resources, and hands-on experience directly to students on their campuses. By joining as a mentor, you’ll work alongside driven event organizers who are eager to make a difference in their local academic communities.
Why Become a Mentor?
Empower the next generation of WordPress professionals, contributors and community builders.
Strengthen your leadership, coaching, and event organization skills.
Network with a global community of educators, organizers, and WordPress advocates.
Become a part of the official Campus Connect Mentor group with recognition 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/.
Contribute meaningfully to WordPress’s mission of democratizing publishing through education.
Mentor Requirements
Time Commitment: Minimum 2 hours per week. This includes a blend of asynchronous support (via online communications) and synchronous support (such as meetings or live sessions with organizers).
Capacity: Mentor 3-5 event organizers at a time.
Dedication: Willingness to guide, encourage, and provide feedback to organizers throughout the event journey.
Mentor Responsibilities
Offer guidance throughout the entire organizing process from initial application to post-event wrap-up.
Unblock and encourage organizers, helping them solve problems and stay motivated.
Review organizers’ plans, providing actionable feedback to help ensure their events are impactful and successful.
Share insights on event best practices, resources, and community standards.
Be a supportive, inclusive, and approachable presence for new organizers.
Host a one hour Campus Connect 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. call once every two months.
Eligibility Criteria
Must have contributed to the WordPress project (as a contributor or organizer), preferably with prior experience in event organization, community building, or mentorship, with a strong preference for those who have organized or volunteered for a WordPress Campus Connect event.
Demonstrate strong communication, inclusivity, and teamwork skills.
Comfortable with asynchronous digital communication tools and able to attend occasional synchronous meetings.
Willing and able to commit the required time and responsibilities outlined above.
What Support You’ll Get
Orientation and resources to help you get started confidently.
Access to templates, guidelines, and best practices.
A dedicated SlackSlackSlack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/. channel for ongoing discussions and peer support.
Regular check-ins from the Campus Connect coordination team.
Additional Information
Prospective mentors will be vetted before acceptance into the program to ensure a positive and supportive organizer experience.
Selected mentors will be recognized for their contributions with a Campus Connect Mentor badge on their WordPress.org profile.
Ongoing support and resources will be provided for mentors throughout the mentorship period.
