Announcing the 2018 Kim Parsell Memorial Scholarship

Photo Credit: Kim Parsell on Twitter

We are pleased to announce that applications for the Kim Parsell Memorial Scholarship are being accepted as of today.

Kim Parsell was an active member of the WordPress community until her untimely passing in 2015. She was given the nickname “WPMom” because of the care she took in making sure any member of the community that she encountered felt welcomed and valued.

Kim actively participated in WordPress Meetups in her native Ohio, often driving over 90 minutes each way to do so. She also attended multiple WordCamps from Ohio to San Francisco and everywhere in-between. As a contributor, she contributed to every release of WordPress from 3.7 to 4.2.

Online, Kim could often be found on Twitter encouraging community members in whatever they were doing. She’d also post comments on countless WordPress sites to give members a shout out, boost of confidence, or help if they needed it.

For the reasons above, and so many more, a scholarship for a woman who has never attended WordCamp US before is named after Kim Parsell. Full details and the application are provided here.

Featured Photo Credit: Matt Mullenweg

Call for Volunteers Deadline Extended!

Summer is a busy time of year for many of us. With July’s month of Independence Day celebrations, barbecues, and pool parties, the last thing you’re probably thinking about is volunteering at an event that doesn’t happen for six more months. Because of this, we’ve decided to extend the Call for Volunteers for WordCamp US to July 31st!

You now have until 11:59p.m. CDT (-5 GMT) on July 31st to apply to volunteer at WCUS. We’re still looking for people in a variety of areas, and we even ask on our volunteer application which areas you would absolutely dread working in. We welcome volunteers of all ages and experience levels. Experience is not required, we’ll teach you how to do your volunteer job during volunteer orientation (you’ll learn more about that later).

Perks of Volunteering for WCUS

WordCamp US wouldn’t be possible without hard work from folks just like yourself. In addition to our undying gratitude, WCUS volunteers get:

    • Free WCUS Admission – Admission includes two days of sessions, contributor day, lunch all three days, a t-shirt and other exclusive swag, and admission to the afterparty.
    • A volunteer t-shirt – In addition to the t-shirt that comes with your WCUS ticket, you’ll get a special volunteer t-shirt to wear during your shift(s).
    • An invitation to the volunteer party – The night before WCUS starts, you’ll be invited to join all of the other amazing volunteers for a night of food, fun, and socializing.

If you’re interested in volunteering, fill out our volunteer application and we’ll be in touch. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

Important Deadlines

Schedules this time of year are CRAZY. Between summer vacations, sports practices, family get-togethers, etc., it’s a wonder we aren’t all running around in circles. With that in mind, we wanted to remind you about several WCUS-related deadlines coming up.

Call for Speakers: July 1st

On July 1st at 11:59p.m. CDT (-5 GMT), the Call for Speakers will close. Be sure to get your talk submission(s) in before then! You can apply to speak by going to WCUS-Speakers.org.

Call for Volunteers: July 15th

On July 15th, the Call for Volunteers will close. We need about 300 volunteers to run our camp, so be sure to sign up! If you apply to speak and are selected, we will work with you to adjust your volunteer schedule accordingly.

Visa Letter: October 15th

If you are travelling to WordCamp US from outside of the United States and you would like a letter to attach to your visa application, please purchase a ticket and request your visa letter by October 15th. Visa letters typically take 1 to 2 weeks to fulfill. After October 15th, we can not guarantee the timeliness of your visa letter.

Printing Deadline: November 1st

To ensure we can give our swag and print vendors enough time to fulfill our orders, we have to set a deadline of November 1st. After November 1st, we cannot guarantee you a printed attendee badge or your preferred t-shirt size.

You can still purchase a ticket after November 1st. We will have blank badges that we will write your name on and we always order extra t-shirts in a range of sizes.

Having Issues?

That stinks. The WCUS organizing team is always here to help! If you have any questions or issues, feel free to contact us.

Matt Mullenweg Announces St. Louis as WordCamp US 2019/2020 Host City

We’re excited to share that St. Louis, Missouri will be the next city to host WordCamp US! During his keynote at WordCamp Europe, Matt Mullenweg announced that St. Louis, Missouri will be the host city for WordCamp US 2019 and 2020.

10 Fast Facts About St. Louis

  1. St. Louis is home to Forest Park, one of the largest urban parks in the United States. It’s about 500 acres larger than Central Park in New York City. Forest Park is home to the St. Louis Zoo, Art Museum, History Museum, Science Center, and more. The best part: most of these attractions are free!
  2. St. Louis is also home to the Gateway Arch! With the completion of CityArchRiver, St. Louis’ $380 million project to rejuvinate the Arch grounds and surrounding areas, you can now walk from downtown St. Louis to the Arch grounds. The new area will officially open July 2018.
  3. Nearby downtown, the Missouri Botanical Gardens stand. The MBG is the oldest botanical garden in continuous operation in the United States. The MBG is home to 79 acres of gardens with Chihuly glass artwork throughout. Admission for kids 12 and under is free.
  4. The Lemp Mansion was built in the early 1860’s and served as the Lemp family home and brewery office until it was rennovated into a Restauraunt and Inn. Many locals say that the house is haunted by its former inhabitants. Lemp offers several tours through the mansion where you can try and connect with the spirits of the house.
  5. Right next door to Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals, is Ballpark Village, a hive of restaurants and entertainment.
  6. Speaking of sports, St. Louis also is home to the St. Louis Blues, who play at the Enterprise Center (formerly Scottrade Center).
  7. The Greater St. Louis Area also boasts over 60 breweries in operation or in planning. Many offer tours for free or low cost.
  8. Ted Drewes Frozen Custard was named the “Best Ice Cream Shop in the World” in 2016 by SoolNua’s #worldICECREAMindex. Ted Drewes has been selling frozen custard for almost 90 years. Ted Drewes is a local St. Louis tradition after every St. Louis Cardinal’s baseball game. Ted Drewes’ custard is uniquely flavored, because it uses honey to sweeten it. This is a tradition that started during the Great Depression when honey was used as a cheap alternative to sugar.
  9. St. Louis is also home to a variety of unique food items, including their own version of pizza. St. Louis style pizza uses provel cheese, a blend of cheddar, Swiss, and provelone cheeses on a cracker-thin crust. Locals will tell you that the best St. Louis pie comes from Imo’s, whose motto is “The Square Beyond Compare,” which references the pizza slice’s square shape.
  10. If you have time while you’re here, you should check out the Historic Soulard Farmer’s Market. Since 1779, the Soulard Farmer’s Market has been bringing St. Louis locally raised produce, dairy, meats and more.

Featured Photo Credit: David Needham

WordCamp US Tickets Now Available!

WordCamp US 2018 will be December 7-9 at the Music City Center in Downtown Nashville, Tennessee. We’re excited to offer tickets again this year for just $40. Your ticket includes access to sessions, the afterparty, and exclusive swag items.

Bringing a Guest to WCUS

Sharing your WordCamp US experience with a good friend or significant other is always a great time! If you plan to bring a guest with you to WordCamp US events, they will need their own ticket.

An Important Note About Allergies

WordCamp US takes life-threatening allergies very seriously. On this year’s ticket form, you’ll notice that there’s a section for you to fill out what/if any dietary restrictions you might have, but there’s also a radio button to click for life-threatening allergies. We consider a life-threatening allergy to be one where if you come in contact with the allergen (whether eaten, touched, or inhaled) that you require immediate medical attention.

If you have an allergy that requires immediate medical attention if you’re exposed, we want to know about it so that we can keep you safe. When you click that radio box and complete your purchase, a member of the organizing team will reach out to you for further information. We ask that you don’t provide this information in the dietary restrictions section of the form both because dietary restrictions are handled differently, but also for the safety of your protected health information.

Purchase Your Ticket Today!

Volunteer at WordCamp US

The lifeblood of any WordCamp is its amazing, hard-working volunteers. From organizers, to speakers, to sponsors, and everyone in between, without them, WordCamps would cease to exist. WordCamp US is no exception.

The WordCamp US organizing team is looking for people with all kinds of skills and talents that are willing to share their time with us during the weekend of WordCamp US (December 7-9, 2018). We’re looking for people to fill a variety of roles including registration, session rooms, sponsor hall, happiness lounge, and more.

Interested? Fill out the form on our Call for Volunteers page.

Call for WordPress Communities!

Did you attend the Community Bazaar at WordCamp US last December? Maybe your WordPress community was featured? My local community was featured and we had such a blast!

Community Bazaar 2017 – Phoenix, AZ

Do you have a wonderful WordPress community that you’re proud of? Does it knock your socks off? Do you feel your community is so great, it needs to be showcased to the world? If so, don’t be bashful! We’d love your community’s participation in our 2nd annual Community Bazaar this December.

Check out the details here!

Announcing WordCamp US 2018!

We’re excited to announce that WordCamp US 2018 will be December 7th – 9th in Nashville, Tennessee. We will again be holding the event at the Music City Center in the heart of Downtown Nashville. We’re still in the early stages of planning, so subscribe to our channels to stay in the loop! You can find us at:

  • Right here on this website! You can get our updates sent directly to your inbox by putting your email address in the box in the sidebar of this website!
  • You can find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/WordCampUSA/. Be sure to give us a like!
  • You can also find us on Twitter. We tweet under the handle @WordCampUS.
  • Lastly, we have an Instagram account. We post using @wordcampus.

Featured Photo Credit: Taylor Gorman