The Jukebox Podcast from WP Tavern recently sat down with three leaders driving WordPress education: Destiny Kanno (Education Program Manager), Anand Upadhyay (WPVibes, Campus Connect and Student Clubs organizer), and Maciej Pilarski (WordPress Credits program admin). Their conversation maps how three complementary initiatives are creating pathways for learners of all ages to discover, use, and contribute to WordPress.

Three complementary programs

1) WordPress Credits Program
The Credits Program connects higher-education courses with open source contribution. Universities can adopt a 50‑hour or 150‑hour course module that integrates onboarding to the WordPress ecosystem, a chosen contribution area (any team on make.wordpress.org), mentorship by vetted community members, and a final reflective/post submission. Students receive an official certificate from the WordPress Foundation (signed by Matt), a special badge, and a record of contributions on their wordpress.org profile. The program began as an experiment at the University of Pisa and has grown rapidly: Maciej reports 21 institutions signed on, about 450 students enrolled globally, and 75 graduates so far. The goal is not only to award academic credit but to build a pipeline of the next generation of contributors and to create verified portfolios for students entering the job market.

2) WordPress Campus Connect
Campus Connect is an official WordPress event series designed to introduce WordPress to students at any level—elementary, high school, vocational, or university—and in any learning space (including libraries). It’s deliberately low-barrier: events can be one‑day workshops, multi-day sessions, or recurring visits depending on local needs. Since becoming an official series in May 2025, Campus Connect has run 42 events across 71 institutions, reaching over 5,500 students. Outcomes are practical: many attendees leave with a live website, and institutions that host repeat events demonstrate how Campus Connect can become part of a sustainable outreach rhythm.

3) Student Clubs
Student Clubs are student-led, in-campus meetups that keep momentum between outward-facing events. After a Campus Connect visit sparks interest, students can form clubs to run monthly sessions, teach juniors, host quizzes, run speed-builds or mini-hackathons, and invite community members for talks or webinars. These clubs flatten hierarchy, develop leadership and public-speaking skills, and make WordPress learning peer-driven and sustainable over the long term.

How the programs interplay

Rather than competing, these initiatives feed one another. Campus Connect sparks local interest; Student Clubs sustain it and create local leadership; WP Credits formalizes contribution-focused learning and academic recognition. In some places a Campus Connect event has led to a Credits partnership; in others a Credits course led to a Campus Connect or club. The interplay creates a virtuous cycle that scales locally while connecting students to the global WordPress community.

Removing barriers and scaling

A recurring theme is lowering friction for organizers and learners. Campus Connect is intentionally light on bureaucracy so community volunteers can run events without being bogged down. Destiny is building a Meetup Activity Library: ready-to-run kits with facilitation guides, slide decks, and hands-on activities to help inexperienced facilitators lead sessions confidently. Maciej and Destiny are also expanding a Facilitator Training Program to increase the pool of trained volunteers and educators so programs can scale without overloading a few people.

Recognition, motivation, and visibility

Recognition matters. Credits students get certificates, badges, and contribution records on wordpress.org. Campus Connect attendees can request certificates signed by the WordPress Foundation’s Executive Director. Public showcases—posts, Education Buzz reports, and event tables at major WordCamps—help make student achievements visible. Destiny and the team are working with WordPress marketing to surface wins more consistently so the broader community notices the growing educational footprint.

Measuring success and long-term impact

Rather than purely chasing short-term KPIs, the teams value repeat campus partnerships, growing local ownership, and long-term outcomes. Examples of success include repeat Campus Connect requests from institutions, faculty taking ownership, Student Clubs asking for programming during vacations, and events where students make up a significant portion of attendees (one Ajmer event sold out with 50% of tickets to students). Maciej emphasizes that the true measure of success will reveal itself over years as students transition into contributors, teachers, or WordPress professionals.

Broader aims: inclusion, relevance, and future-readiness

These programs are about more than skills transfer. They expose students to open source culture, collaboration across time zones, and project-based contribution. Destiny highlighted an opportunity to keep WordPress relevant to young learners by linking it to topical areas such as AI—e.g., the new AI Leaders Credential—so students see modern, practical uses for the platform. Making WordPress accessible, visible, and supported by certificates and community mentors helps attract diverse talent and fresh perspectives.

Where this is showing up: events and showcases

Education activities are no longer hidden at the margins. The community table at contributor days and a dedicated education track—planned for events such as WordCamp Europe—are starting to showcase student work, teacher stories, and the credits/club outcomes. These public stages help normalise education as core to the project’s sustainability.

How you can get involved

If you want to help or start something locally: 1) Attend or organize a Campus Connect event to introduce WordPress to students; 2) Help form or mentor a Student Club to keep learning steady on campus; 3) Explore the WordPress Credits Program if you work with a higher-education institution and want to integrate contributions into the curriculum; 4) Volunteer as a facilitator or mentor—facilitator training and activity kits are being developed to make this easier.

The podcast episode makes one thing clear: WordPress education is expanding rapidly and intentionally, and there are many entry points for volunteers, educators, students, and institutions. These programs aim to create a sustainable pipeline of learners and contributors, make WordPress learning accessible at all ages, and celebrate student achievements publicly. If you feel inspired, the WP Tavern show notes for the episode include links and resources to get started.

The WordPress community is rapidly expanding its education work. In a recent Jukebox Podcast episode recorded for WP Tavern, Nathan Wrigley spoke with three leaders driving those efforts—Destiny Kanno (Automattic, Make WordPress Community Team), Anand Upadhyay (WPVibes and Campus Connect organiser), and Maciej Pilarski (WordPress Credits admin). They mapped how three connected initiatives are bringing WordPress to learners of all ages worldwide: the WordPress Credits Program, Campus Connect, and Student Clubs.

Who the guests are
– Destiny Kanno: Education program manager working with the community and training teams. She helped relaunch Learn WordPress and now supports Campus Connect and facilitator training.
– Anand Upadhyay: Plugin developer and community organiser who helped scale Campus Connect and mentors Student Clubs.
– Maciej Pilarski: Longtime community contributor and admin for the WordPress Credits Program, helping universities adopt contribution-based courses.

Three complementary initiatives
1) WordPress Credits Program (WP Credits)
The Credits Program partners with higher education institutions to let students earn academic credit through open source contribution. Courses are typically offered as 50- or 150-hour modules over a semester. Students onboard to the WordPress ecosystem, choose a contribution area from make.wordpress.org, work with a vetted community mentor, and submit a final report. Graduates receive an official WordPress Foundation certificate and a badge; their contributions are recorded on their wordpress.org profile, creating a visible portfolio for future employers.

Early pilots began in Pisa and have grown quickly. Maciej described how the program bridged humanities and technical disciplines and now includes institutions across regions. Current figures discussed on the podcast: roughly 450 students enrolled globally and 75 graduates so far, with university partnerships growing (from early pilots to over 20 institutions involved).

2) WordPress Campus Connect
Campus Connect is a flexible, community-driven event series that brings WordPress into campuses of all kinds: universities, high schools, vocational schools, even public libraries. Events range from one-day workshops to multi-day series. The goals are practical: introduce students to building websites, demonstrate career pathways (design, marketing, development), and seed ongoing campus activity.

Since becoming an official WordPress event series, Campus Connect has expanded fast: dozens of completed events across many institutions and more than 5,500 students reached. Destiny emphasised low barriers for organisers, repeat campus visits, and the importance of case studies: once a campus sees real results, institutions invite organisers back and local champions emerge.

3) Student Clubs
Student Clubs are the grassroots, peer-led complement to the other programs. Formed by students after an event or through local interest, clubs hold regular meetups on campus where members teach each other, run hands-on workshops, host quizzes and speed-build challenges, and invite community contributors to speak. Clubs sustain momentum between one-off Campus Connect sessions and help new users learn practical skills while developing leadership and presentation experience for students.

How the programs fit together
The three initiatives are designed to support one another: Campus Connect sparks interest; Student Clubs sustain and deepen it; WP Credits offers a formal pathway for contribution and academic credit. They are not competitive but cyclical: a campus might host a Campus Connect, then establish a Student Club, and later sign a Credits partnership. Together they create multiple entry points so participants can choose the level of commitment that fits them.

Support systems and recognition
To lower barriers, organisers are building resources and training. Destiny is developing a Meetup Activity Library with facilitator kits—presentation decks, facilitation guides, and hands-on activities—to empower new organisers and nervous presenters. A Facilitator Training Program helps scale the pool of people who can lead sessions. Students can receive participation certificates signed by the WordPress Foundation, and Credits participants receive formal certificates and profile badges.

Measuring success
These programs are measured less by short-term KPIs and more by longer-term impact and sustainability. Repeat campus events, faculty adoption, active Student Clubs, mentors volunteering, and students returning to contribute are real signals of success. Examples cited include a Campus Connect in Ajmer where 50% of a related event’s ticket sales were to students, and institutions asking for repeat visits or remote support during vacation periods. Maciej and Anand stressed that building the next generation of contributors matters more than immediate numeric targets.

Visibility and flagship events
Education is increasingly visible at flagship WordPress events. The podcast guests noted dedicated education tables at contributor days and an educational track being included at WordCamp Europe, where students and teachers will present projects. These placements help surface student work, celebrate wins, and bring education into the center of community conversation.

Why this matters
Bringing younger people into WordPress addresses long-term sustainability. The community benefits when new contributors and users join with fresh perspectives. Beyond technical skills, these programs teach open source values and collaboration across time zones and cultures. For many participants, an early Campus Connect or Student Club experience can lead to deeper contributions, new career paths, and long-term involvement.

How to get involved
If you want to help or start something locally:
– Host a Campus Connect event on any campus or in a community space.
– Start or support a Student Club for peer learning and ongoing meetups.
– Work with local universities to explore the Credits Program if you can support a semester-long contribution course.
– Use facilitator kits and the Meetup Activity Library to reduce friction.

For more details and links, the podcast show notes on WP Tavern list resources and contacts for each initiative (visit wptavern.com/podcast). The guests encouraged listeners to get involved, to reach out to organisers, and to share success stories so the community can learn and grow.

Closing
The conversation makes one thing clear: WordPress education is evolving quickly, driven by volunteers, community organisers, universities, and foundation support. Whether you mentor a student, run an activity, start a club, or help a campus adopt credits, there are many ways to join the effort and help build the next generation of WordPress contributors.