WordPress Credits is a contribution-based practice program by the WordPress Foundation that brings students into the heart of 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. The program helps students develop transferable skills, gain practical experience, and join a global community of open source contributors.
Through the program, students collaborate with volunteers and professionals from companies in the WordPress ecosystem. While we encourage connections that could lead to paid opportunities, the program itself does not offer compensation.
What Is the Program?
WordPress Credits is designed to help students gain real-world experience contributing to WordPress, while fulfilling academic requirements. The program offers:
- Structured onboarding
- Mentorship by experienced contributors
- Hands-on, personalized contribution projects
- Public visibility of all contributions
- Flexible arrangements with educational institutions around the world
The program was launched in partnership with the University of Pisa and announced on stage at WordCampWordCamp WordCamps 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. Europe 2025. Since then, it has received growing interest from students, academic institutions, and companies across the WordPress ecosystem.
Who Can Join?
The program is open to:
- Students from all fields of study
- Educational institutions interested in integrating open source contribution into their academic curriculum
- Companies and sponsors interested in supporting student learning and mentorship
Partner Institutions
WordPress Credits is made possible thanks to the collaboration of forward-thinking institutions that recognize the value of open source education. Together, we are bridging academia and real-world contribution by integrating WordPress into academic programs and traineeship pathways.
Our current partners include, in order of affiliation date:
- University of Pisa (Pisa, Italy)
- Fidélitas University (San José, Costa Rica)
- Franz Tamayo University (Unifranz) (Santa Cruz, Bolivia)
- Riga Nordic University (Riga, Latvia)
- Ahmad’s Education (Dhaka, Bangladesh)
Each institution plays a key role in helping students gain hands-on experience, develop professional skills, and contribute to one of the world’s most influential open source projects.
Program Structure
The program can run for an academic semester (typically 3–4 months) or follow flexible formats based on the institution’s requirements. For example, the University of Pisa allows year-round participation with a contribution goal of 150 hours.
Each program includes three main phases. Below is an example from the pilot program with the University of Pisa, where students complete 150 hours of contributions over 15 weeks, averaging 10 hours per week:
1. Onboarding
Students receive foundational training and become familiar with the tools and culture of the WordPress community.
- Create your WordPress profile
- Complete the courses
- Join the WordPress team on the global Slack
- Join your country based team on the local SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/.
- Connect with your mentor
Depending on prior experience, students complete one of the following learning paths:
2. Project Work
Students design and complete a contribution project aligned with their skills and interests.
- Create your personal website to document your journey
- Define and begin developing your personal contribution project
- Publish regular updates on your personal website
- Participate in at least one WordPress team meeting
- Host/speak at a WP event (online or in person) to share and connect with the community
- Join mentor check-ins for guidance and reflection
- Join WPF check-ins to stay aligned with the program goals
Examples of contribution projects include:
- Translating interfaces or documentation
- Creating multilingual subtitles for educational videos
- Writing or editing content
- Assisting with community event organization
- Developing training materials for Learn WordPress
- Contributing code or performing testing
- Supporting product development or design
- Creating open source tools
3. Wrap-up
Students complete the program with a final reflection and evaluation.
- Prepare and deliver a final presentation (remote or in person)
- Submit feedback to help improve the program
- Ensure their project and site are complete and publicly accessible
Mentorship and Support
Each student is paired with a mentor specific to their contribution area. A dedicated WordPress Foundation contact ensures alignment with program goals and academic requirements. Mentorship includes guidance, feedback, and regular check-ins.
Tracking Your Progress
All students track time spent on each task and project activity. This data helps the WordPress Foundation improve the program and report on its impact.
Get Involved
- Universities and educational institutions interested in participating can reach out by filling the interest form.
- Companies and sponsors can support the program by:
- Sponsoring mentors
- Providing tools or learning resources
- Offering project-based funding
Our Sponsors
Sponsored Mentors
| Active Mentors | Sponsor Company |
| Francesco DiCandia | Weglot |
| Isotta Peira | Automattic (WordPress.comWordPress.com An online implementation of WordPress code that lets you immediately access a new WordPress environment to publish your content. WordPress.com is a private company owned by Automattic that hosts the largest multisite in the world. This is arguably the best place to start blogging if you have never touched WordPress before. https://wordpress.com/) |
| Nilo Vélez | Hostinger |
| Laura Sacco | Elementor |
| Rita Robles | |
| Lúa Salazar | |
| Alex Cuadra |
Sponsored Admins
| Team Admins | Sponsor Company |
| Isotta Peira | Automattic (WordPress.com) |
| Maciej Pilarski | Automattic (WordPress.com) |
| Francesco DiCandia | Weglot |
| Celi Garoe | Weglot |
Sponsored Tools
| Company | Type of product | Offer |
| WordPress.com | Hosting | Domain + 1 year of free hosting + 50% off renewal |
| Weglot | PluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party | One year of Weglot’s Business Plan for free (€290 value) to translate your website |
We invite companies to learn more about how to support the program by visiting the dedicated page.
Why It Matters
WordPress Credits lowers the barriers to open source contribution, supports the academic and professional development of students, and helps build a diverse, sustainable contributor pipeline for the WordPress project.
By welcoming students, mentors, sponsors, and volunteers into this initiative, we are shaping not only the future of WordPress, but the future of open source itself.
