WordCamp Jacksonville An International Conference of
Technology and Diversity
by William Jackson #MyQuestToTeach

WordCamp Jacksonville was well-attended by participants and speakers as far away as Nigeria, Miami, Georgia, and several Midwestern states. The excitement of sharing the growth of web development,  digital platforms, and tools directly related to content creation and web development shows a phenomenal growth in the need to be involved in social media and associated technologies.

Attended by several hundred, the conference in its third year contained a Kids Camp that was dedicated to teaching ages 7 to 13 how to build and manage a WordPress site, making the journey into web development fun and relevant for young people who are future developers, coders, digital engineers, and even business owners.

The growing diversity of WordCamp Jacksonville is seen by sponsors of the Kids Camp.
William Jackson, an educator with Duval County Public Schools and business owner of My Quest To Teach, speaks, volunteers, and blogs at national and international WordCamp conferences.

Ms. Aida Correa, Artist, Poet, STEAM educator, and business owner of LoveBuilt Life is a sponsor of Kids Camp in Jacksonville. Both Mr. Jackson and Ms. Correa are advocates
of youth, teens and young adults, African American and Latino respectively. They
participate in areas of technology, attending WordCamp conferences to network and collaborate in building technology businesses.

Less than 5% of technology businesses are owned by people of color.
This year’s conference 2018 was attended by Catherine Mayokun Egwali, a businesswoman, blogger, author, and speaker from Nigeria on the continent of Africa. Her experience as an award-winning author, content creator, and business owner allows
her the opportunity to share her story with others on an international level. (LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinemegwali)

Globally technology is allowing for faster communication and new collaboration
opportunities. Allowing the diversity of the world to share stories, expand the voice of the silent in social and cultural issues and to encourage world peace through tolerance and cooperation.

WordPress, an “open source” product, encourages the development of Apps, widgets,
and other programs to be created that improve the usability of web development. WordCamp conferences are located throughout the nation and in cities that are expanding their access to resources and employment opportunities that embrace technology.

People of color and diversity in culture should take advantage of unique opportunities to
start their own business models in technology, innovation, and even the arts. WordCamp conferences and Kids Camp are great opportunities to develop digital skills that can open employment doors and entrepreneurial prospects. WordCamp is growing into a family
adventure and a journey of discovery and innovation.

Resources:
WordCamp Central
https://central.wordcamp.org/schedule/
WordCamp Jacksonville
https://2018.jacksonville.wordcamp.org