This episode explores how WordPress is being used to empower students and educators worldwide. Guests Destiny Kanno (Head of Community Education, Automattic), Isotta Peira (leader of the WordPress Credits program for students), and Anand Upadhyay (founder of WordPress Campus Connect) discuss initiatives that bring WordPress into campus life, transform student learning into recognized credentials, and build ongoing student-led communities.
Who the guests are
– Destiny Kanno: Head of Community Education at Automattic, sponsored contributor, formerly on the Training Team building workshops, courses, and learning pathways.
– Isotta Peira: Sponsored contributor on the Community Team, currently leading the WordPress Credits program to bring contribution-based practice into university curricula.
– Anand Upadhyay: Founder of WPVibes, long-time WordPress contributor, and originator of WordPress Campus Connect to bring hands-on WordPress workshops directly to campuses.
Why education and WordPress
Guests emphasize education as a meaningful use of WordPress: it provides practical, transferable skills, open-source exposure, and a pathway from learning to employment across roles—development, design, SEO, content, and more. There is a recognized need to renew community demographics and bridge gaps between academic training and industry needs.
WP Campus Connect: what it is and how it works
– Purpose: A do_action-style event series designed to reduce barriers to students’ access to WordPress learning by bringing trainers and volunteers onto college and university campuses.
– Format: Hands-on workshops (typically 5–6 hours) that guide students to build a real website (business sites, personal portfolios, or resumes). The goal is not mastery in one session but a feeling of accomplishment and direction for further exploration.
– Target: Primarily students aged about 17–18 and older, including university and some high-school programs; adaptable to different campus types.
– Volunteer-driven: Organizers and facilitators are volunteers; events are free for students. Local community members serve as facilitators and rotate across campus events.
– Logistics and outreach: Organizers pitch institutions, explain benefits, and request infrastructure and student access. Early outreach was challenging; proven events and testimonials have since eased partnerships. Successful campus events also boost local meetups and grow community participation.
– Curriculum and materials: Facilitators collaboratively design project-based curricula. Workshops are iterated based on student feedback. Learn WordPress materials are available as resources for planning or further learning.
– Outcomes: Students leave with a completed project, basic publishing skills, and often a certificate of completion. Hosting companies sometimes offer free hosting to outstanding participants to put sites live.
WordPress Student Clubs
– Purpose: Provide a campus-based space for students to continue WordPress learning after one-off events. Clubs encourage peer learning, student leadership (club leads and faculty advisors), and help maintain momentum.
– Access: Clubs can be requested alongside Campus Connect events or independently. They act as a bridge between campus peers and broader local meetups, allowing tailored topics and gradual confidence-building.
WordPress Credits: contribution-based academic recognition
– Concept: A practice program that enables students to earn recognized academic credit by contributing to WordPress. It’s designed to integrate real-world contribution with university curricula, regardless of a student’s major.
– Pilot: University of Pisa offers a pilot for its Department of Translation and Communication. The program provides 150 hours of practice, mentorship, virtual classroom support via the Learn platform, and a final project. For Pisa, 150 hours translate into six academic credits.
– Structure: Students self-onboard online, work remotely and asynchronously, are paired with mentors, and follow contribution tasks (translation, documentation, coding, design, etc.). They must complete required hours, participate in community tools (Slack, GitHub, Learn), and engage in at least one meetup or online event.
– Certification: On completion, students receive a certificate from the WordPress Foundation detailing hours and contribution—used by partnering institutions to award curriculum recognition or credits.
– Goals: The program aims to teach transferable skills: project design, remote collaboration, stakeholder updates, public presentation, and authentic portfolio development. Longer term, organizers hope to expand partnerships so WordPress contributions can more broadly count toward graduation or admission criteria.
Challenges and enablers
– Institutional buy-in: Convincing universities and colleges required answers to questions about motives, sustainability, and outcomes. Demonstrable pilots and clear benefits made subsequent outreach easier.
– Volunteer capacity: Programs need more contributors to mentor, coordinate with institutions, and scale offerings globally.
– Flexibility: Reducing friction and offering adaptable formats (half-day, multi-session, or full-day) help drive adoption across diverse education contexts.
– Community renewal: Engaging younger contributors replenishes the broader WordPress community and brings fresh perspectives.
Impact and vision
– Students benefit from hands-on experience, exposure to real-world open-source workflows, and opportunities to build portfolios and networks that aid employability.
– Educational institutions gain a practical, transferable option to augment curricula and offer students applied learning recognized by credits or certificates.
– The WordPress project gains new contributors and ensures long-term sustainability by diversifying and rejuvenating its community.
How to get involved
– Educators, students, and local community members can request events, student clubs, or find resources via the Learn platform and community channels.
– Organizers welcome facilitators with WordPress knowledge and a community-oriented mindset; no strict barriers beyond willingness to volunteer and teach.
– Those interested in institutional partnerships for WordPress Credits can contact program leads and explore pilot opportunities.
Closing
The initiatives discussed—WP Campus Connect, WordPress Student Clubs, and WordPress Credits—offer a coordinated approach to bringing WordPress into education, reducing entry barriers, and creating sustainable pathways from learning to contribution and career. The projects are volunteer-led, flexible, and designed to scale with community support. Educators and community members are encouraged to connect, share resources, and help broaden access so the next generation can both learn with and contribute to WordPress.
