The Idea Behind WP Campus Connect

The journey of WP Campus Connect has been nothing short of extraordinary for us. This first-of-its-kind initiative was born out of a desire to bridge the gap between students and the WordPress ecosystem and also to grow the local community. As an active member of the WordPress community, I often noticed the need to introduce fresh talent to the platform and create a space where students could learn, grow, and connect with the global WordPress community.

I shared this idea with our local community members, and we decided to design an event tailored specifically for students, providing them with hands-on exposure to WordPress and opening doors to potential career opportunities. Over the course of 23 days in October 2024, we conducted a WordPress workshop in four colleges in Ajmer, India, to bring this vision to life through engaging seminars and workshops.

What began as an experimental event has now set a foundation for nurturing the next generation of WordPress enthusiasts and contributors. In this blog post, we’ll discuss WP Campus Connect’s highlights, achievements, and incredible journey.

Event Format

When we decided to organize a WordPress event exclusively for students, the big question was: How do we gather interested students, and where? Instead of asking them to come to us, we chose to meet them where they are—on their campuses. That’s how the event got its name: WP Campus Connect. We also decided that unlike other WordPress events, where attendees had to purchase the ticket, we removed this barrier and kept it free for all. 

We decided to partner with four colleges, making it a multi-day event planned across four Saturdays in October. Though we had to adjust the schedule along the way (more on that later!), the concept remained the same.

Once our proposal was approved by the WordCamp Central, we started pitching the idea to colleges. The plan was to conduct 5-6 hour workshops in each college to introduce students to WordPress and career opportunities in web development. However, WordPress awareness in our region was low, and convincing colleges wasn’t easy. Out of six colleges we approached, four partnered with us after seeing the potential impact of the event.

Feedback from our partner colleges added another layer to our format. Most students had never heard of WordPress, so jumping straight into workshops might not have been effective. To address this, we introduced a pre-event seminar in each college. These 90-minute sessions aimed to familiarize students with WordPress, its global impact, career opportunities, and the upcoming workshops—ensuring they were motivated and prepared.

To maintain quality, we capped participation at 100 students per college, considering the infrastructure provided and our capacity to deliver a meaningful experience.

In the end, our final format became:
4 Colleges, 4 Seminars, 4 Workshops, and introducing WordPress to 400 students.

Event Planning & Execution

The Team

Once the event format was finalized and approved, it was time to turn the vision into reality. Organizing WP Campus Connect required meticulous planning, dedicated teamwork, and the support of our vibrant community. With a clear roadmap ahead, the next step was to form a team and assign responsibilities to ensure everything was executed smoothly.

We built a 10-member organizing team, with each member taking on a specific role based on their expertise. Here’s how we divided the tasks:

• Program Team: Crafted the workshop flow, deciding what to teach, how to teach it, and ensuring the sessions were engaging and impactful.
• College Coordinator: Liaised with our partner colleges to ensure we had the necessary infrastructure for the seminars and workshops, from projectors to seating arrangements.
• Design Team: Created promotional materials, session slides, certificates, and other visual assets that gave the event a polished and professional feel.
• Sponsorship Team: Focused on securing funds by reaching out to sponsors, ensuring we had the financial backing needed to organize the event seamlessly.
• Social Media and Content Team: Managed promotions across platforms, kept the community engaged, and shared regular updates about the event. They were also responsible for creating engaging content, such as announcements, blog posts, and updates, to amplify excitement and spread awareness.

Every aspect, from logistics to content creation and online engagement, was managed collaboratively, with frequent check-ins to track progress and address challenges. With each team member playing their part, we turned the concept of WP Campus Connect into a well-coordinated, impactful event.

This teamwork not only made the event possible but also strengthened the bonds within our community, showcasing the power of collaboration in achieving ambitious goals.

Student Selection: Ensuring the Right Participants

With participation capped at 100 students per college, the respective colleges were responsible for selecting attendees. To ensure a fair and effective process, all colleges followed a similar pattern.

Each pre-event seminar was conducted for a larger audience, introducing students to WordPress, its career potential, and the workshop objectives. Following the seminar, the college faculty invited students to express their interest in joining the workshop. This allowed students who were genuinely motivated and eager to learn to step forward.

Based on these expressions of interest, the final list of workshop attendees was prepared. This approach ensured that the workshops were filled with enthusiastic participants who were ready to make the most of the learning opportunity.

Event Days: Bringing WP Campus Connect to Life

The event days were the highlight of WP Campus Connect, with seminars and workshops conducted at all four partner colleges. Each session was tailored to inspire and engage students, introducing them to the power of WordPress and its vast career opportunities.

Seminars: Setting the Stage

The 90-minute seminars introduced WordPress, its global presence, and its potential as a career path. While engaging a large audience within this short timeframe was challenging, we managed to keep the sessions interactive and enjoyable, ensuring students left motivated and curious.

Workshops: Hands-On Learning

While the seminars only required two team members, the workshops were a full team effort. Each workshop was approximately 5-6 hours long and designed to provide students with hands-on experience building their first WordPress website.

The college infrastructure varied, adding a layer of complexity. At one college, a single large computer lab accommodated all participants, allowing one lead facilitator to guide the session while others assisted. In other colleges, the workshops were split across multiple rooms. To maintain consistency, we conducted an internal team session before the event to ensure every facilitator was aligned on the workshop structure and delivery.

We helped students build their first WordPress websites, set up WordPress, understand themes and plugins, manage pages and posts, and more. In this hands-on workshop, they built a website home page, set up a blog, and added a contact form to the site. 

Breaks and Activities

Workshops included a small break where we provided refreshments and set up fun activities like photo booths. These activities added a lively touch and allowed students to interact and capture memories of their day.

The Closing Moments

Each workshop concluded with a feedback session, during which we interacted with students, learned about their experiences, and encouraged them to join our Meetup group to continue their learning journey with the WordPress community. Participation certificates and swag were distributed to all attendees, leaving them with a token of their experience.

The events wrapped up with group photos, which captured the energy and excitement of the day—a perfect end to a successful event.

Challenges Faced

One major challenge was ensuring the required infrastructure at partner colleges. While students were encouraged to bring their own laptops, many relied on college computer labs. At some colleges, outdated systems and missing configurations made it difficult to install the necessary software.

To overcome this, we used InstaWP to spin up temporary WordPress sites, allowing students to work seamlessly without delays. This quick solution ensured the workshops ran smoothly and introduced students to an innovative way of using WordPress.

The Final Impact

Through WP Campus Connect, we introduced WordPress to over 370 students, sparking a newfound enthusiasm among many of them. The impact became evident at our next meetup, which saw a record-breaking attendance of over 50 participants—most of whom were new members. What stood out was their active involvement. They were not just attending but also contributing ideas for future meetups, showcasing their eagerness to engage further.

With the growing number of attendees, we recognized the need for a larger venue. One of our partner colleges stepped forward and is now a venue sponsor for our meetups, solidifying their support for the community.

Another exciting outcome was the suggestion to establish Student WP Clubs within colleges. These clubs can help sustain in-campus activities and introduce WordPress to students who missed the WP Campus Connect event. It can be a critical step toward ensuring the long-term growth and sustainability of the local WordPress community.

Looking ahead, we’re in talks with stakeholders and exploring possibilities to integrate WordPress into the college curriculum soon. This initiative has the potential to embed WordPress knowledge at an academic level, equipping students with a competitive edge by the time they graduate.

The momentum from WP Campus Connect has strengthened our local community and set a strong foundation for continued growth, innovation, and collaboration.