Author: Sandi Batik

WordPress trainer, eCommerce consultant, curricula developer, author, unapologetic geek, unrepentant capitalist, lucky enough to do what I love every day. Sandra co-founded Pleiades Services in 1992 with her partner Nick Batik. She currently serves as the COO for LoneStarWP. Throughout her over 40-year business career, she has enjoyed responsible assignments in project management; business process analysis; research and development; training program development; quality system operations and customer/vendor relations. Sandi has been a Co-organizer of the Austin WordPress Meetup Group, one of the most active WordPress meet-ups in the States since 2010. She has been the Co-Organizer of the Austin WooCommerce Meetup since 2015. Additionally, she has presented or served on the organizing teams of numerous WordPress events. • Austin WordCamp 2010 • KnowBility AirAustin 2010 Accessibility Hackathon — Team Member • Austin WordCamp 2010 — Co-Organizer and Cook • WordUP Austin – 2011 – Co-organizer • OneK-in-1Day for Women in Business — 2012 – Volunteer and Speaker • Austin WordCamp 2012 - Co-organizer • Austin WordPress Developer Day, 2012, 2013 • Austin Wordcamp 2014 – Speaker • DFWWordcamp — 2014 – Contributor Day • PodsCampDFW 2014 - Contributor Day - Documentation • WP Austin REST Day Conference —2016 - Organizer • PodsCampATX - Organizer 2016 • Happy Joe WordPress BootCamp 2015-Organizing • Committee and speaker • Women Who Code 2017 – Speaker • Austin Wordcamp 2017 – Organizing Committee and speaker • DFW WordCamp 2018- KidsCamp Organizer
Posted on

Mentoring The Next Generation of WordPress Users

KidsCamp is not only an opportunity to share what we do with our children, but it is also the best place to teach your child how to create and publish content with WordPress. The Austin WordPress Meetup has been hosting KidsCamps since 2011. We’ve introduced kids to WordPress at official WordCamps, Scout meetings, and Boys and Girls Clubs.

Kids love the simple to use, intuitive WordPress interface to publish their thoughts and interest online. Some of our very first Campers have taken their early introduction to WordPress from a fun, interesting pastime to a livelihood that helped pay for college and the foundation of a successful career.

  • Toyin Akinmusuru and Annika at her first KidsCamp in 2015
  • by 2017 they were discussing site structure

I think it is pretty safe to say that Annika’s first KidsCamp in 2015 was all about spending time with her Dad, Toyin. She enjoyed learning the types of things her Daddy did on his computers. She was full of questions that started with “How to.. and why.”  

One of our takeaways from that KidsCamp experience was it was easier for a child to learn WordPress with their parent’s help and continued encouragement. Our other takeaway was to ask our KidCamp participants to think about what they want to write about before camp so they are ready to start building their ideas into websites during class.

 During a WordPress KidsCamp, your child will learn WordPress basics, creating pages, creating and maintaining a blog, and building a site navigation structure. We will also discuss internet safety. As much as we enjoy teaching valuable technical tools, KidsCamp Coaches have noticed kids improve their writing and communication skills simply because they were eager to share their thoughts with others. Having their very own WordPress site gave them a sense of gravitas and offered them a new way to connect with others of like interests.

  • Opening the beta-test book
  • Book design as specified
  • Matching pen

Learning the basics of WordPress can not only help prepare your child for today’s fast-changing tech environment, but it might also inspire an entrepreneurial venture or two.

Annika built her first client site in 2018. Last year she approached her Dad with a Dropshipping idea — AnyDay Books – notebooks with custom-designed covers. Annika and Toyin worked on the design together and developed a beta product, Last year Annika took delivery of her first books. With proof of concept, she and her Dad are onto their next step — to build Annika’s AnyDay branded dropshipped books into a business.

  • Online Safety Presentation
  • Camper Tech Support

In 2019 Annika volunteered to be a training assistant for the DFW KidsCamp. She helped lead the KidsCamp Blogging Brainstorm Session, presented the Online Safety Guidelines, and acted as tech support for our Campers. Annika enjoyed working with the younger kids so much, she volunteered to help with the 2020 San Antonio KidsCamp.

For most of us, WordPress is a major part of professional lives. KidsCamp is a fun way to invite our kids into that community. KidsCamp is a way to give them not only an appreciation of what we are doing at our keyboards but show our kids all that is possible for them to accomplish with WordPress. The organizers of the 2020 San Antonio WordCamp hope to see you and your kids at WordCamp this year.

Purchase a Ticket for KidsCamp
Posted on

Why We Are Inviting You and Your Child to KidsCamp

KidsCamp Morning Session

Our goal for the San Antonio KidsCamp is to promote a love of learning, mastering new WordPress skills, and to support the personal growth for every child attending. By learning how to blog, our Campers will practice their reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. It is our hope that KidsCamp will be the venue to encourage each child’s creative potential. This is a great opportunity for kids to start developing their own voices, discover who they are, and understand how their “voice” might be different from their friends and classmates.

Blogging can be a personal journal of insights about unfolding events. Bloggers start forming and voicing opinions, and writing about things that interest them. Student bloggers build strong typing and spelling skills.  Blogging can also be a highly creative endeavor involving original art, or photography. During KidsCamp we will show Campers how to access images for their Blogs from online sources. We will explain how the creative commons license allows them to use these photos by following the sharing rules of the owner.

Online Safety

The internet is omnipresent in our children’s lives. It provides encyclopedic information at the touch of a finger. One of the goals of KidsCamp is to introduce the basics of online safety. We encourage parents and guardians to work with their children in KidsCamp to review some best practices for their Campers. WordPress allows you to set access levels so nothing can get published without your approval. Parents can set-up comment preferences to review comments with their kids, offering an opportunity to discuss what might be an appropriate response and what might not be.

Blogging can be an entertaining, engaging and educational experience for kids and their parents. We look forward to seeing you at the 2020 San Antonio  KidsCamp. the KidsCamp tickets include lunch and snacks and please remember to bring a laptop and get ready for a fun, creative day with your Camper. We look forward to seeing you there.

Purchase a Ticket for KidsCamp