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Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, has launched an educational initiative aimed at introducing students to web development. The new WordPress.com Education program provides instructors with tools to offer their students free access to professional website-building resources, including complimentary domain names and full plugin support for one year without requiring credit card information.
The offering was unveiled at the annual WordCamp US conference and includes robust features typically reserved for paid accounts. Students receive 6 GB of storage capacity, backup functionality, staging environments, and advanced capabilities such as SFTP/SSH access and phpMyAdmin integration. Teachers can integrate the platform into curriculum focused on website design and development, or incorporate it into broader projects requiring web presence.
Following the initial free year, students have the option to continue their subscription for $2 monthly. Those who choose not to continue retain their content within a free WordPress.com account, preserving all pages, posts, comments, and media files. Automattic’s pilot program, which involved 5,000 students across 27 countries, demonstrated significant educational value. Participating educators reported that approximately 89 percent believed the platform enhanced student employability, while roughly 82 percent indicated it strengthened entrepreneurial skills among participants.
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Originally reported by Techcrunch →
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