Kim Parsell Memorial Scholarship Continues to WordCamp Asia and WordCamp Europe!

The prestigious Kim Parsell Memorial Scholarship has now been extended from WordCamp U.S. to include WordCamp Asia and WordCamp Europe. It was announced at the 2024 WordPress Foundation Meeting on November 4, 2024. 

A separate blog announcement stated, “This expansion honors Kim’s legacy and her dedication to inclusivity and diversity within the WordPress community, making it possible for more community members to attend these inspiring events.”

The board arrived at the decision after reviewing the scholarship’s impact on female WordPress contributors and the entire WordPress community.

What is the Kim Parsell Memorial Scholarship?

The Kim Parsell Memorial Scholarship, established in 2015, honors the memory of Kim Parsell, a cherished member of the WordPress community. The primary purpose of the scholarship is to assist a woman who is passionate about contributing to WordPress in attending WordCamp. The scholarship covers the following:

• Round-trip flight fare to the WordCamp from their home city.
• A WordCamp event pass
• Lodging expenses during the event

The scholarship will be awarded to only one woman. It will, however, not cover the expenses to and from the airport, meal expenses, or other incidental expenses.

Eligibility For Application

Interested applicants for the scholarship must meet the following criteria to qualify:

• The applicant must identify as a woman.
• Should have made active contributions to WordPress projects. 
• Must have never attended WordCamp Aisa or WordCamp Europe in the past.
• Must be in need of financial assistance to attend WordCamp Aisa or WordCamp Europe in 2025

How To Apply For Kim Parsell Memorial Scholarship

The application for the Kim Parsell Memorial Scholarship for WordCamp Asia and WordCamp Europe closed on November 30, 2024. The scholarship application for WordCamp U.S. will open soon in the coming months, but no notifications have been made so far in this regard. 

If you have already applied for the scholarship for WordCamp Asia or WordCamp Europe 2025, the organization will notify you about the selection by December 21, 2024. 

Who Was Kim Parsell–The #WPMOM?

Fondly remembered as the #wpmom, Kim Parsell is one of the first “women of WordPress.” In her initiative to create a safe environment for women who wanted to break into tech, she invested a lot of her time in sharing her knowledge with the WordPress community. With her selfless volunteer work, Kim also received “props” for five major WordPress releases. 

In 2014, the WordPress foundation gave her a travel stipend to attend the WordPress community summit that was held in conjunction with the WordCamp San Francisco. 

Unfortunately, Parsell passed away a few months later, in 2015. To honor her legacy, the foundation established a scholarship. Since then, the WordPress Foundation has awarded a travel stipend each year to one female WordPress contributor, helping them attend WordCamp.

The WordPress Foundation introduced the scholarship in 2015 to support female contributors attending WordCamp events. Initially limited to WordCamp U.S., it has since expanded to include WordCamp Asia and WordCamp Europe, starting in 2025.

The first recipient was Anyssa Ferreira, a Brazilian designer and a dedicated member of the WordPress community. 

The most recent recipient, Cynthia Norman, received $3,000 for her outstanding contributions to WordPress as a developer. With a strong background in training and education, Cynthia has played an active role in the WordPress Training Team and developed numerous lessons for Learn WordPress.

Why This Matters?

The prestigious scholarship is not just an event ticket, but a means to support women in tech. It enables passionate WordPress contributors to attend WordCamps—the event known for community building, networking, learning and professional developement. 

The expanded scholarship will allow more women contributors to become part of an event that enables their personal growth and empowers the WordPress community as a whole.

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