WordPress Credits: Contribution Program for Students – Make WordPress Log In Register Skip to content Handbook Article). -- WordPress.org Showcase Plugins Themes Hosting News Resources Learn WordPress Documentation Education Forums Developers Blocks Patterns Photos Openverse ↗︎ WordPress.tv ↗︎ About About WordPress Make WordPress Events Five for the Future Enterprise Gutenberg ↗︎ Job Board ↗︎ Swag Store ↗︎ Get WordPress Search in WordPress.org Get WordPress WordPress.org Make WordPress WordPress Credits: Contribution Program for Students Meetings Team Updates Project Updates Five for the Future Contributor Handbook Communicate Log in Meetings Team Updates Project Updates Five for the Future Contributor Handbook Communicate Log in HomeHandbookWordPress Credits: Contribution Program for Students Search WordPress Credits: Contribution Program for Students In this article Table of Contents What Is the Program? Two tracks to fit your program Who Can Join? Partner Institutions Program Structure 1. Onboarding 2. Project Work 3. Wrap-up Mentorship and Support Tracking Your Progress Get Involved Our Sponsors Meet Our Mentors Sponsored Products Why It Matters ↑ Back to top 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. Two tracks to fit your program WordPress Credits is offered in two formats, so institutions can match the program to their academic requirements and the time students have available. WordPress Credits — 50 hours. A condensed track built around a single guided contribution project. A good fit for shorter modules, electives, or a first introduction to open source. WordPress Credits — 150+ hours. The full program. It starts at a minimum of 150 hours and can be extended to fit an institution’s needs (so far we’ve run it up to 400 hours). It includes everything in the condensed track plus extra onboarding courses, building a personal website with regular progress updates, mid-course feedback, and active participation in the global WordPress community and events. A good fit for internships, capstone projects, or a full-semester course. Both tracks finish the same way: students present their work, complete a feedback form, and receive a certificate. Download the document to compare both paths: WordPress Credits – Program Comparison (50h vs 150h)Download 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 – Cochabamba, Bolivia) Riga Nordic University (Riga, Latvia) Ahmad’s Education (Dhaka, Bangladesh) Krakow University of Economics (Krakow, Poland) Cracow University of Technology (Krakow, Poland) Central New Mexico Community College (Albuquerque, New Mexico, US) IES Azarquiel (Toledo, Spain) Creative Campus – Universidad Europea (Toledo, Spain) Drew University (Madison, New Jersey, US) Escuela de Arte Toledo (Toledo, Spain) Escuela de Arte de Huesca (Huesca, Spain) ERAP Research and Learning LLP (Kolkata, India) Juraj Dobrila University of Pula (Pula, Croatia) Escuela de Arte de Zaragoza (Zaragoza, Spain) IES Venancio Blanco (Salamanca, Spain) Zaragoza Dinámica (Zaragoza, Spain) D Y Patil Agriculture and Technical University, (Talsande, Kolhapur), India Instituto de Educación Secundaria Mar de Alborán ERAP Research and Learning LLP, Kolkata, India IES Venancio Blanco Juraj Dobrila University of Pula CPR Liceo La Paz Wschodnioeuropejska Akademia Nauk Stosowanych w Białymstoku E-zone School of Computing Liceo HHC Experimental Bilingue José Figueres Ferrer Universidad de Diseño Innovación y Tecnología – UDIT Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences CNM Ingenuity Texas International College, Kathmandu, Nepal DYPSEM – D Y Patil School of Engineering and Management (Kasaba Bawada, Kolhapur), India 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. Flexible ways to integrate WordPress Credits Each institution decides how the program fits its academic structure. The most common approaches are: As an internship — students complete supervised hours that count toward an internship or work-placement requirement. As an embedded module — integrate the program, or selected courses from it, into an existing subject. As a pre-graduation project — use it as the practical or capstone project students complete before finishing their studies. As an elective or extracurricular credit — offer it as a standalone elective. These are the most common models, not the only ones. We’re happy to discuss any arrangement that works for your institution — our goal is for the time and work students invest to be formally recognized by their school or university. 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 Open source basics and WordPress How decisions are made in the WordPress project Community meeting etiquette Writing in the WordPress voice Basic principles of conflict resolution 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: Beginner WordPress User Intermediate WordPress User Advanced WordPress User Create your personal website to document your journey 2. Project Work Students design and complete a contribution project aligned with their skills and interests. 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 (but are not limited to): 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. 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. Students from our partner institutions, visit the Student guide and apply to join the program. Teachers and community members interested in guiding the students through the program, please read the Mentor guide and apply to become a mentor. Community members interested in learning more and help with admin tasks, please join the team at the #wpcredits Slack channel. Companies and sponsors, please visit the Sponsor guide and decide how to support the program: Sponsoring mentors Providing tools or learning resources Offering project-based funding Our Sponsors Meet Our Mentors Sponsored Products CompanyProductOfferWordPress.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/HostingDomain + 1 year of free hosting + 50% off renewalWeglotPluginPlugin 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 websiteCloud86HostingDomain + 1 year of free hostingWPBakeryPluginFree lifetime WPBakery page builder plugin licenseSmarthostHostingDomain + 1 year of free hostingSeoRepairKitPlugin100% discount on Yearly PlanNovamiraPluginLifetime license for Novamira Pro 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. First published July 10, 2025 Last updated July 20, 2026 Previous Glossary Previous: Glossary Next Admin Guide Next: Admin Guide Chapters Chapter list Contributor Handbook Contributor Dashboard Contributor Dashboard Pilot Contributor Pathways All pathway guides About Pathways Before you begin Build Contribute to GatherPress Build a WordPress Playground Blueprint Create a Community Blueprint Contribute to Theme Check Plugin Contribute to Data Liberation Design Contribute to the WordPress Photo Directory Join the Photos Moderation Team Create Block Patterns Design a Meetup/WordCamp Kit Design a WordPress Workshop Kit Review a Theme Write Create a Pathway Guide Document a WordPress Release Work on Documentation Issues File a Documentation Issue Create Content for Learn WordPress Update Theme Check Plugin Documentation Write a Migration Guide for WordPress Help build the Accessibility Knowledge Base Write or Update GatherPress Documentation Answer WordPress Support Questions Test Review a Pathway Guide Test for Accessibility Test WordPress Bug Reports Audit GatherPress Documentation Review Content on Learn WordPress Test WordPress Patches Test Beta Releases Review Themes for Accessibility-Ready Tag Translate Translate Training Content Translate Top Themes and Plugins Organize Suggest a Pathway Organize a Student Club Volunteer at a WordPress Event Label Documentation Issues Become a GitHub Issues Coordinator Triage Theme Check Issues and PRs Triage Gutenberg Issues Volunteer for a Team Meeting Promote Add Captions to WPTV Videos Promote a Local WordPress Event Conduct Surveys Maintaining Contribution Pathways Glossary WordPress Credits: Contribution Program for Students Admin Guide Institutions Bulk Enrollment of Students Form for Students without Active Institution Institutions Onboarding Presentation Desks Mentors Mentors Onboarding Mentors Requirements Regional/Country Mentor Lead Sponsors Sponsors Onboarding Students Certificate & Graduation Spam Student Student Onboarding (50h) Student Onboarding (ALL) Student Onboarding (only Pisa) Student Onboarding (Self-onboarding Pilot) Student Guide Sponsor Guide Mentor Guide Call for Mentors Contributor Guide Community Code of Conduct Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in WordPress About News Hosting Privacy Showcase Themes Plugins Patterns Learn Documentation Developers WordPress.tv ↗ Get Involved Events Donate ↗ Five for the Future WordPress.com ↗ Matt ↗ bbPress ↗ BuddyPress ↗ WordPress.org WordPress.org Visit our X (formerly Twitter) account Visit our Bluesky account Visit our Mastodon account Visit our Threads account Visit our Facebook page Visit our Instagram account Visit our LinkedIn account Visit our TikTok account Visit our YouTube channel Visit our Tumblr account The WordPress® trademark is the intellectual property of the WordPress Foundation.