WordPress Credits: Contribution Internship Program

WordPress Credits is a contribution-based internship program by the WordPress Foundation that brings university students into the heart of the WordPress open source 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 internship 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 internship requirements. The program offers:

• Structured onboarding
• Mentorship by experienced contributors
• Hands-on, personalized contribution projects
• Public visibility of all contributions
• Flexible arrangements with universities around the world

The program was launched in partnership with the University of Pisa and announced on stage at WordCamp 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:

• University 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

Program Structure

Internships can run for an academic semester (typically 3–4 months) or follow flexible formats based on the university’s requirements. For example, the University of Pisa allows year-round participation with a contribution goal of 150 hours.
Each internship 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 (Weeks 1–4)

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 Slack
• 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

2. Project Work (Weeks 5–13)

• 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 meetup (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 (Weeks 14–15)

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

• undefinedUniversities and educational institutions interested in participating can reach out by filling the interest form.
• undefinedCompanies and sponsors can support the program by:
  • Sponsoring mentors
  • Providing tools or learning resources
  • Offering project-based funding

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.

For more information, please visit the WordPress Credits Handbook section.