This lesson is designed for WordCamp Mentors who are supporting a WordPress Campus Connect (WPCC) event organizer through the event program. Your guidance is crucial for organizers to have a successful and rewarding experience.
The WPCC Mentor Role
As a WPCC Event Supporter (Mentor), your job is to help make official community events easier to organize and more engaging for attendees. Your role is similar to that of a WordCamp mentor, focused on guiding the organizer through the entire event lifecycle.
Core Responsibilities:
- Be a Consistent Guide: Act as the Community Team’s contact for the organizer.
- Check in Frequently: Regularly monitor the event timeline to help keep planning on track.
- Share Experience: Offer your knowledge to assist with questions, identify potential issues, and find solutions.
- Stay Informed: Keep up to date on new tools, developments, and decisions made by the Community Team.
Important Distinction: You Are Not an Organizer
You are not part of the planning team. Your role is advisory. You should not be doing any actual organizing tasks (e.g., booking a venue, designing a logo, contacting sponsors). Your primary goal is to help the organizer identify their issues and then identify solutions for them.
Getting Started
Once you’ve been matched with a WPCC organizer, you will be introduced via email.
- Initial Contact: Schedule an initial 30-minute meeting (video or text chat is fine) to get to know each other.
- Determine Communication: Decide how you will communicate (personal email, individual Slack channel, or making.wordpress.org Slack channels). Note that more public communication helps the broader team learn and allows others to step in if needed.
- Set Meeting Cadence: As the event planning process takes at least six weeks from start to finish, start with check-ins at least once a week, and decide together if a different meeting cadence is required.
Event Phase-Specific Guidance
You will support the organizer through four key phases, ensuring they meet program standards and deadlines.
Phase 1: Application and Event Approval
| Organizer Step | Mentor’s Role | Key Details to Verify |
| Apply to Organize | Ensure the organizer submits the official application at least six weeks before the planned event date. | The organizer must use the official Apply to Organize form. |
| Initial Resource Setup | Confirm the organizer has received and understands the initial resources provided after their orientation call. | These resources include the event tracker, budget form, event email address, and dedicated website. |
| Budget Planning | Guide the organizer in gathering realistic estimates for all planned expenses before submitting the budget. | The Global Sponsorship Program provides funding up to USD 300. |
| Ongoing Support | Direct the organizer to the official support channel for quick questions. | Remind them to use the #campusconnect Slack channel for day-to-day questions. |
Phase 2: Pre-Event Planning
This is the most time-intensive phase. Your role is to support the organizer’s timeline and event structure.
- Planning Timeline: Help the organizer set and stick to deadlines.
- Outreach & Partnerships (as needed): Advise on effective campus outreach strategies (e.g., faculty, student clubs).
- Sponsorship & Logistics: Review the logistics plan (venue, equipment, accessibility) and ensure any local fundraising is properly tracked.
- Workshop Design: Guide the organizer in selecting and preparing event content that is engaging for students and meets program standards.
Phase 3: Event Execution
- Program Content & Delivery: Check in shortly before the event to confirm all content is ready.
- Event Day Support: Serve as a point of contact or share resources on who can help triage any unexpected issues that arise on the day of the event.
Phase 4: Post-Event Activities and Measuring Impact
| Post-Event Activity | Mentor’s Role | Key Deliverables to Track |
| Post-Event Feedback | Remind the organizer to complete the official surveys immediately after the event closes. | Organizer Survey and Attendee Survey completion. |
| Reporting | Guide the organizer in compiling a brief post-event report and cross-posting the outcomes. | The report should share the number of participants, projects created, and success stories in the #campusconnect Slack channel. |
| Future Engagement Pitch | Encourage the organizer to pursue next steps that foster a long-term WordPress presence on campus. | Advise on pitching the formation of an official WordPress Student Club or pursuing a WordPress Credits Program partnership. |
Mentorship Best Practices and Troubleshooting
Reporting Your Check-ins
After you meet with the organizing team, please write a short summary of your check-in as a comment to the current Monthly Update posts on make.wordpress.org/community. This keeps the entire Community Team informed of each event’s progress.
Troubleshooting
- What if I can’t answer a question? No one expects you to have all the answers. If you don’t know how to advise them, ask for help in the #community-event-supporter Slack channel or email [email protected].
- What if the organizer is unresponsive? If the organizing team hasn’t been able to meet in more than a month and has not replied to emails, immediately alert the Community Team so they can reach out to see what is happening.
For more in-depth information on the WPCC program, you can review the official handbook page: Campus Connect Mentor Guide
