As a sponsor and speaker at WordCamp Buffalo 2023, I had the privilege of experiencing this exciting event firsthand. From the engaging sessions to the networking opportunities, WordCamp Buffalo was an incredible experience that brought together WordPress enthusiasts and professionals of many different skill levels and background.
Over the past year, I have attended each of the international flagship camps, but find the local camps to really give me time to connect at length with attendees. I spent time in person with multiple friends that previously I’d only interacted with online. Whether over lunch, or in the hallway track, it is always so good to find out how others are WordPressing, what they are creating, and what brings them to a WordCamp.
I was honored to speak during several sessions yesterday. My solo talk was “Creating Inclusive Education Within An Open-Source Community:The WordPress Training Team ‘s Journey to Creating Accessible and Engaging Educational Materials.” This topic is the summation of why I have contributed to WordPress since 2009. You can find the content that our team creates at Learn.WordPress.org.
And my slides here:
LearnWP by Courtney RobertsonWhat surprised me about this presentation most was that it really was an introduction to how one part of WordPress is made possible. I wasn’t teaching how to do something with WordPress the software, but rather sharing here is a wealth of educational resources, how these resources are made, and how you can contribute to them as well. I wasn’t sure if the talk resonated with attendees, but had quite a few questions after. Folks are seeing how they can share the specific content within Learn WordPress with their customers, use it themselves for personal learning, and even share it within their Meetup groups. Perhaps I am so close to the work happening on Learn WordPress that I forget what it is like to suddenly discover that this exists. The smiles on faces really is motivation to keep going.
When I wasn’t at the GoDaddy booth or speaking, I had my camera in hand and was popping by other presentations. The members of this community are absolutely its future and strength. Here are a few of the photos I got:
