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.
